Pet Peeve, Rainbows, and your Noggin.

This is a topic I have a lot of feelings about, but, for the sake of my dignity and for public class, I won't say much.

All I want to say is...

I dislike automatic toilets.

Let me stay in control of all of my business, please.

The end.

On another note...

I saw a rainbow today on my way home from Salt Lake City. It was beautiful. In fact, the entire sky was beautiful. We had some crazy thunderstorm clouds going on that were a dark purply-orange, a deliciously pink sunset touching the mountains, and green hills looking so vibrant against the entire situation. It was awesome. I wish we could have pulled over on the highway just to soak it all in. But that probably would have been unwise...

How often do we set ourselves up for moments where we can't appreciate our surroundings? How do I get myself so busy that I can't stop and enjoy the aroma of friendship or the color palette of learning?

Right now I'm in an art history class, and the first day we were talking about why it is important to study art history. Now, those of you who choose to read this, will probably have varying opinions. I know some art history graduates. I know some art-adverters. Either way, here's what I think about the arts. (Sometimes, I claim to know what I'm talking about. This is one of those times.)

We were given two halves of a brain for a reason. Ying-yang. PB&J. Lock & Key. Assuredly, there are some people who are definitely more right-brained or left-brained, as there should be. If we were all left-brained, life would consist of metal 90 degree angles, whereas if we were all right-brained, it would be the perpetual 60s. Neither are very appealing. So I'm super grateful for the left-brainers who do what I cannot, and for the right-brainers that totally get me.

But we have two halves to experience the beauty of both. We are given two options to see how awesome this wonderful world really is, how we can associate and interact with others, and understand different cultures, people, places, and how they alllllllll tie together. Because believe it or not, they do.

Everything goes together.

But the only way we can figure out how or why, is if we use both.

Word of the Day: aeolian \ee-OH-lee-uhn\ ,  adjective: 1. (usually lowercase) of or caused by the wind; windblown.

And, because people really only look at blogs to look at pictures, here's a picture of me and one of my companions. It was her birthday and some of the greatest members gave her a great birthday treat.

Happy Birthday to Sister Mackenzie, March 2012

Notice he's using his left-hand? And drawing? #rightbrainer #proudaunt

Back in business...

Hey friends, family, and strangers!

You might notice that my posts from my mission aren't here anymore. I felt like to preserve privacy of others, and to protect what is precious to my heart, I pulled those posts. So I hope you enjoyed them!

But no worries. I am still going to talk about my mission. :) Being home has been kind of strange, because it was all such a whirlwind, coming home, Christmas, family, school two weeks later, and craziness, and I don't feel I've been able to properly reflect or digest what I've learned.

So in order to help me to continue to reflect, to share, and to express gratitude, I'll be commentating on my experience for the next while. Probably forever.



 I think the greatest, strongest, most recurring emotion I felt on my mission was gratitude. I mean, don't get me wrong... you feel a lot of things on a mission. Like every emotion possible, and usually all at once or within a 24-hour period. It puts Six Flags to shame. But yes, gratitude, for so many things...

 The Gospel of Jesus Christ

The Christus statue

temples

service

forgiveness

diligence

The Book of Mormon

The Bible

technology

bikes

sunscreen

100 degree days in October

cars

senior missionaries

Visitors' Centers of the world

selfless members

organization

humility

companions

friends

hymns

talents of others

The Easter Pageant!

Christmas Lights

the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

colors

my senses

mission meetings

the General Authorities

Christlike love

heartache

mormon.org

mormon messages

stake presidents

frybread

the rain

the Spirit

the feeling of satisfaction when you've done all you can

cactus

sunrises and sunsets

scorpions

and it goes without saying, the incredible people I met, served, taught, and am privileged to now know.

But there's a few people that were remarkably key in my mission experience, and what they've done for me is irreplaceable for the rest of eternity. I know that seems a bit extravagant, you might say, but it's the truth, and I know it of myself, so you think whatever you want.

First: My parents.

June 1, 2011, Provo, UT

As I continued to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ and teach others about eternal families, I would reflect in my mind what my own parents have done for me. The list is endless, and words don't do it justice. Yes, they make mistakes and I know I've driven them a little crazy at times, but I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for the example and leadership of my own parents. So thank you, dad and mom. Thanks for preparing me, teaching me, and helping me serve a mission.

Second: my Mission President and his wonderful wife.

President and Sister Ellsworth had been serving for a year when I got to the mission, and I remember meeting them at the airport. I remember thinking, "These are my parents for the next year and a half." 

 What a challenge to spiritually, emotionally, and temporally parent 180-200 young adults at any given time for 3 years! I can't fathom how much stress they've felt, sorrow they've experienced, and rejoicing they've done. What an immense task, and from a worldly perspective, it would be okay to not care about the individuals for sake of efficiency. But the Ellsworths could not be more opposite!

December 17, 2012, Mesa, AZ

Again, I can't put into words the lessons that I have learned from under their tutelage, and most of them I don't need to share with all of you, but I can tell you this. I have learned what true humility looks, acts, and thinks like, I have seen faith exercised to facilitate miracles, and I have felt Christlike love in the most singular and individual way that I've experienced. And I know how I want to be.

I think part of the Plan is that we don't ever know the full extent of our impact on others. We simply continue to serve and do our best to bless the lives of the people around us, and one day, we will know, and what a day of gratitude and humility that will be. I hope they get to see the extent of their influence someday. I know from personal experience, they've left a permanent impression on me.

And in reality, these two really lead to the gratitude I have for God. He is our literal Father in Heaven, and if there are parents like these that are mortal and imperfect, what an overwhelming realization to think of the kindness, mercy, love, devotion, and kinship that God has for His children. He is real, with feelings, thoughts, and desires, and desires only to bring us the greatest happiness. He weeps when I weep, and rejoices when I rejoice. More than once did I feel a sorrow that was not mine for the choice of His children, or a joy that was more powerful than my own heart could produce for the enlightenment of another.

God is real, and I am so incredibly grateful for Him.

http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#earthly-father-heavenly-father

Word of the Day: linchpin \ LINCH-pin \ , noun: 1. something that holds the various elements of of a complicated structure together.

Adios!

Well, I'm waiting to get set apart as a missionary in just an hour and a half, and thought I'd do one last blog post before I turn the reins over to my mother. :) 

Here was my 21st birthday cake... I wasn't feeling an entire cake, so we settled for a lovely red-velvet cupcake from Bliss Cupcakes. The cake itself was pretty good, the frosting ... not so much. So it was good that it was a little thing.

For dinner my parentals and I went to Cafe Rio. The first choice would have been Chipotle, but I went the week previous, and since Cafe Rio has so many Utah connections, I decided it would be a great way to spend some eating time. And the left-overs were great. :)

We took a little adventure on our way home past the hospital where I was born. It is now an abandoned shambled building, but hey who cares.

This weekend all the family is in town, and it has been awesome. Family time = best time.  The End.

How could it not be with a face like this?

Hooray! Some very sweet friends drove out to hear me speak in church.

So there you have it. Life is great, and I'm finally going on a mission! I feel like I've been waiting for a long time. Because I have. There is still a huge list of to-dos to tackle between now and Tuesday morning when my parents and I load up and drive out, but I'm happy. It actually still feels really surreal, and maybe that's how the entire mission will last; I'm just glad to be going.

Something that you might not know is that missionaries (or their families) pay $400 a month for their missionary to serve. That's $7200 for:

- two phone calls home (one Christmas and one Mother's Day)

- 18 months away from home

- weekly emails to the family

- sweaty, sweaty days in Mesa

- missing weddings, graduations, three semesters of school

Why on earth would I pay all that money for all those things?

Because I also get these things:

- HUGE opportunities to learn and become better

- meet hundreds of new people that I will come to love

- have experiences that will stretch and teach me

but most importantly,

- watch others come unto Christ by accepting the restored gospel. And that makes it completely, entirely, beyond worth it. 

I can't wait!

See you in Mesa!

P.S. - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE GREATEST MOM EVER IN ALL THE LAND.

MTC Countdown: 68 hours. (WAHOO!)

The Word of the Day: credulous \ KREJ-uh-lus\ , adjective; 1. ready to believe on slight or uncertain evidence