Cute kids

Just look at those cute faces!! 

#myilpadventure 

Post high school plans

Update on my next adventure

Senior year! That means time to plan for the future.. Ugh.. All the college recruitment letters and application forms start pilling up and every other adult asks you what you are doing after high school. If you would have asked me a few months ago what was next I would probably answer go to school somewhere and that's about all i know. Every year the school puts on a college fair day where colleges come and talk to seniors about why their school is perfect for you. I went to a few of the schools presentations, but none of them felt right to me. After many more hours of research, and time on my knees, I came across the International Language Program website. I honestly don't remember exactly how i found it, but i am sure glad i did!

A little about the ILP program.. It's a Non-profit organization that gives young adults an opportunity to live abroad and have hands-on experience with the culture and people. The volunteers pay their way, so if anyone reading this has some fundraising ideas they would be very helpful. They send the volunteers to their assigned country for about 4 months to teach young children English.

I felt like a "fan girl" with their website. I think i read just about every page and post before i even applied. And before I knew it I was accepted! I was so excited about the program I told some friends and now they are going too. Although we are not all going to the same country, we all get to travel and serve at the same time.  During the Fall Semester of 2016, I will be traveling to Puerta Plata, Dominican Republic where I will have the opportunity to teach English to children who would otherwise never have the chance. 

Now when people ask what my plans are after high school I actually have an answer to give them. :) 

Only a life lived for others is a life worth living

I can't take credit for either of these photos, but I love the inspirational sayings. 

Happy Sunday everyone! 

I'm going there someday

"In Lewis Carroll’s story Alice in Wonderland, Alice approaches the Cheshire Cat and asks, “Would you please tell me which way I ought to go from here?”

The Cheshire Cat replies, “That depends a great deal on where you want to go.”

Alice says, “I admit, I don’t much care where.”

The Cheshire Cat then says, “Then it doesn’t really matter much which way you go, does it?”

“Just so I get somewhere,” responds Alice.

Then the Cheshire Cat reveals an interesting truth: “Oh, you’re sure to get there if you keep walking long enough.”

How many of us are going through life telling ourselves, “If we keep going long enough, we’re going to get somewhere,” but are not defining exactly where that place is we want to be? “Somewhere” is not good enough. We must know where we want to go and be firmly committed to getting there. And we should get that knowledge and commitment early." Robert D. Hales

As my future rapidly approaches I have realized how important goals can be. If we don't know where we are going, any road will take us there. It is important to keep your sights set on where you want to go or you may find yourself on the wrong path. I have found that by having goals it if often easier to make choices along the way. One of my goals is to go to the temple with my prince, but something as wonderful as celestial marriage doesn't just happen. If I want to have a celestial marriage I must start preparing now. President Monson states it well in this council to youth, “My young friends who are in your teenage years, always have the temple in your sights. Do nothing which will keep you from entering its doors and partaking of the sacred and eternal blessings there.”

I want to be beautiful to Him

This song has been an inspiration to me many times, I like to think of it as my "motto" in life. Too many times I have failed to recognize true beauty in myself. With all the crazy distractions and lies of this world it is far too easy to forget our purpose here and what makes us unique. We are all children of God and can be truly beautified by His light. 

"So much noise, so much peace destroyed, 

I can hardly hear the voice, leading me through the void, 

So much noise. 

The world's little lies, 

Destruction in disguise, opportunities to compromise, 

To make me beautiful in their eyes, 

But I'm not gonna buy the world's little lies.

I define myself and find my beauty in the light He gives. 

I'm refined by His divine intentions every day I live. 

It doesn't matter what the world believes, 

Or what they say that beauty means, 

It comes from within, 

I want to be beautiful to Him.

 

He's given me His trust, so I'll be strong enough, 

To run from a dangerous touch, I don't need that kind of love, 

I don't need that crutch, He's given me his trust. 

I know how to shine, my life's not really mine. 

It's not about a worldly climb, it's all about His design. 

So in His eyes, I want to shine. 

I define myself and find my beauty in the light He gives. 

I'm refined by His divine intentions every day I live. 

It doesn't matter what the world believes, 

Or what they say that beauty means, 

It comes from within, 

I want to be beautiful to Him. 

I want to live to have His peace, 

And feel the holiness He seeks. 

It comes from within. 

I want to be beautiful... to Him."

Stand strong

"I say again that youth today are being raised in enemy territory with a declining standard of morality. But as a servant of the Lord, I promise that you will be protected and shielded from the attacks of the adversary if you will heed the promptings that come from the Holy Spirit.

Dress modestly; talk reverently; listen to uplifting music. Avoid all immorality and personally degrading practices. Take hold of your life and order yourself to be valiant. Because we depend so much on you, you will be remarkably blessed. You are never far from the sight of your loving Heavenly Father." Boyd K. Packar

Slow to anger

“A proverb in the Old Testament states: 'He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city'.

It is when we become angry that we get into trouble. The road rage that affects our highways is a hateful expression of anger. I dare say that most of the inmates of our prisons are there because they did something when they were angry. In their wrath they swore, they lost control of themselves, and terrible things followed, even murder. There were moments of offense followed by years of regret. . .


So many of us make a great fuss of matters of small consequence. We are so easily offended. Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way.”
― Gordon B. Hinckley


Anger is one of the many ways Satan tries to lead us astray. I cant stress enough the importance of President Hinckley's advice to brush aside offending remarks. There will always be differences, its part of life, but the way we accept those differences make us who we are. If our goal is to become like Christ then why should we allow menial things to let us slip into a contentious state?

Once upon a time i was stuck in a car with four outgoing beehives... We were on our way to girls camp and i was put in charge of coming up with our jingles. Now, while on our way to camp, i had no ideas remaining and still needed a few jingles, so i asked the girls in the car for their ideas. Along with some crazy jingles they also came up with some poems. This is one of their better poems.  

 Words of wisdom from Dr.Suess

1. Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.

 2. Don’t cry because it’s over. Smile because it happened.

 3. Only you can control your future.

 4. So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.

 5. The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

 6. Today is gone. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.

 7. Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.

 8 .Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.

 9. You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself, any direction you choose.

10.You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.

I know, up on top you are seeing great sights, but down here at the bottom we, too, should have rights.

Remember who you are and what you stand for

 Growing up in the world today is not easy for LDS youth. Day after day we are bombarded with lies that, if permitted, will have a negative influence on us. Negativity is one of Satan’s biggest traps. It is far too easy to slip into a state of insecurity. The world is persistent in leading us to believe we are never good enough.

  “{Satan} attempts to focus our sight on our own insignificance until we begin to doubt that we have much worth. He tells us that we are too small for anyone to take notice, that we are forgotten—especially by God.

          You are not forgotten. Wherever you are, whatever the circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love.

          Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!

        God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior’s example and spend the days of their lives doing good. At times we may even feel insignificant, invisible, alone, or forgotten. But always remember—you matter to Him!"

Uchtdorf, Dieter F. "You matter to him." General Conference October 2011.
Uchtdorf, Dieter F. "Forget me not." General Conference October 2011.