8. And Here's to 2015

“It is most appropriate for [members] to quietly, and with determination, set some serious personal goals in which they will seek to improve by selecting certain things that they will accomplish within a specified period of time. Even if  [they] are headed in the right direction, if they are men without momentum they will have too little influence. You are the leaven on which the world depends; you must use your powers to stop a drifting and aimless world" (Spencer W. Kimball, Set Some Goals)

Being (somewhat) close to the beginning of the year still, I've decided I should probably set some goals.

1. Going to the temple more. I live about on hour or less away from at least 5 temples. I could be much better at going to the temple than I am. So one of my goals this year is to try and start going to the temple more. My ultimate goal would be to go once a week.

2. Learn to cook. I am not very good at cooking. Something that is an important skill to have. While I can make some simple things, I would like to learn to move beyond and actually be able to make more than just spaghetti or salads.

3. Work on that procrastination habit! I think we all understand that one....

4. Become a better me in whatever way I can                                          

7. The Power of Friends

                                                 

I think that through middle and high school, we all learned how important friends are and what a HUGE influence they can have on us. Friends can either help us so much and make great contributions to our lives, or they can be what completely pull us down. That's why it's so important to choose them carefully.
Lucky, I've had some great friends in my life who have helped me in all my adventures. Here is an ever growing list of some things that I think make a great friend:

• Someone who respects you
• They want the best for you
• You can talk to them about serious things or small stuff
• You can laugh with them
• They make it easier for you to be a better person
• They will make late night Walmart runs for popsicles with you
• They share their food with you
• They keep your secrets
• They support you in your dreams and cheer you on

Obviously this isn't everything; it's just a start. What else do you think makes a great friend?

6. I tried Something New

I went to a very small high school. Thus, there were much more opportunities to make a sports team than there would have been at a bigger school. My senior year of high school, after much convincing from friends and a sister, I agreed to try out for the soccer team. Everyone agreed to help me gain some skills before try-outs. I practiced after school with friends and on the weekends, and then at home by myself and with my sister. Honestly, I never would have made the team if everyone had not have helped me out.
When try-outs came, I was terrified about not making it, to the point I almost did not try out. But luckily those great friends jumped in and got me to try-outs. I made the team, and it was one of the best experiences that I had that year. I loved the feeling of being part of a team. You train hard together, you work hard together on the field, you help each other, and you celebrate together, or sometimes you figure out what you did wrong, all together as a team. Even though there were injuries,  times we got scored on, days that we played in the sun, rain, and snow all in one game, and days that all we did was sprint, and. It was still a great learning experience. And soccer is actually really fun!
In the end, our team ended up winning first place in our league. Even though I only got to play for one season, it was amazing! Trying new things wasn't exactly something that I did a lot. But, this taught me that you never know what you might love until you try it out.

5. My Rant on Math

This week my calculus class has taken up a lot of time. From class, to a test review, taking a test, and doing the homework, and dreading all of it, a big chunk of my time and energy has been spent on this class. I have always hated math. I remember being in grade school in sitting on wood chair in our office, learning my multiplication facts. And here I am, still doing math, and struggling through it. So. Today I would like to rant a little on math.

First of all. In math story problems, who on earth buys 300 watermelons. No one. Although that would be delicious, that's just a bit crazy.

Next. Of all the smart people who came up with all these equations and formulas, you would think they could at least give each thing its own name. But no. Take the pi sign for example. Usually people know that it means 3.14, but sometime it can also represent 180 degrees! There are also other symbols that mean 2 completely different things. Seriously. There were genius people coming up with all of this smart math people stuff, and then they go and name things the same.
Obvioulsy, math is not my favorite subject, hopefully after this semester I will never have to take another math class again!! :)

To all those math people (who I probably just offended now) thank you for being smart and doing what you do so the rest of us can enjoy what your smartness. Keep it up.
                                         

4. A Wonderfully Horrible Talent

Each month my calander comes with a specific quote for that month. Usually they're something inspirational and it's all nice. However, this month was a little different, and probably one of my favorites so far.

I laughed at this, but then realized that this probably describes me a little too well. I like to consider myself an expert procrastinator. In high school I was always that kid who wrote their papers the night before and studied for the Spanish test 40 minutes before class. And that worked out pretty well for me actually. Somehow everything magically worked out. And I considered it a little bit of a talent, as it came in handy for getting things done quickly. But now that I am in college, this is probably not one of the best habits to keep. I have gotten better! I study much longer for tests and have gotten better at starting some things earlier than the day before. However, I still have a very long way to go. So here is my middle of semester goal: I will be a better time manager and not be such a procrastinator! ..... maybe ;)

3. To Serve A Mission or Not

                                          

My whole life, my dad has talked about me going on a mission. He talked about how I would be such a great example to all my younger siblings, serve so many people, and how it would change my whole life. For a long time I just smiled and said "maybe", as the missionary age for girls was still 21. But then when I was in high school, the missionary age changed to 19. My dad still talked about a mission, and I agreed because it was far away and seemed like a good idea. My senior year came and many of my friends got their calls. I was the youngest by quite a bit, (I only turned 18 as the first semester of college started) so my focus was on college instead of a mission yet. School went on, but then some of my very close friends started working on papers and waiting for their calls.  I realized that the time started coming that either I had to get serious about a mission or it was time to move on from that idea and focus on school. I prayed and prayed and prayed for Heavenly Father to tell me if I should go on a mission or not.  I was trying to put myself in situations where I could get a solid answer. But I kept going back and forth, changing my mind all the time. I had to make sure that I was going for the right reasons and not just because it was expected of me. Then one day as I was talking to a friend he said something about how sometimes you just need to decide and give it your full 100%. So I decided that was what I was going to do. I made the decision that yes, I was fully committed to going on a mission and that unless I was told that it was absolutely wrong, my mind was made up. At first, I was still having a few doubts about my decision. But then, small conformation of my decision would come. I would sit in a religion class and the teacher would talk about it, and I would feel so strong about a mission. Someone would give a missionary talk at church, at the feeling would come back again. This kept happening. I kept feeling stronger and stronger about the idea. Everyday the topic of missionary work would somehow come up. As time went on, I realized that the things that would have kept me from going on a mission (mainly school) were not even relevant reasons for me anymore. I couldn't expect to plan my whole life and have everything work out exactly like that. There's a bigger plan and going on a mission is part of that plan. And although I still have about 2 1/2 months before I can submit my papers, and going on a mission is a scary thought, I know that this is what I am supposed to be doing.

2. Elder Bednar’s Admonition and Approbation of the Internet

For one of my school homework assignments I have to talk about two articles by Elder Bednar that we talked about in class (both of which were pretty good!).

Elder Bednar’s Admonition and Approbation of the Internet

In his two talks, Things As They Really Are, and To Flood the Earth, Elder David A. Bednar speaks on the same topic, the internet, but gives his audience two very different perspectives of their effects.

The first talk that Elder Bednar gave, Things As They Really Are, is a warning to his listeners about the dangers that the internet can present to a user. He states that everyone on the earth has been given a body and a life to live; we do not need to be living a pretend virtual life. Spending too much time in a virtual world diminishes the importance of a person’s body. It can also cause relationships to be weakened, educational or career opportunities to be passed by, and the small detail of life that bring joy to be missed out on. This talk was given to the younger people of the Church and lays the foundation for his second talk.

The second talk, To Flood the Earth, is also based on the internet, however, this time it is about how social media specifically can be a force for good. Elder Bednar explains how social media can be used as a missionary force in the fact that one person can share a gospel message instantly and others can see it from anywhere around the world. Members of the church can literally flood the earth with uplifting messages that can bring others closer to the Savior. This talk is addressed to an older generation and could be introducing them to the advantages that they may have been unaware of before.

Elder Bednar’s first talk was a warning about the dangers of the internet. It is important for people to know that while the internet and social media can be wonderful tools, they can also pose great threats to those who misuse them. However, he goes on to share the great things that can be done with the social media and how it can be used to spread the gospel. Elder Bednar’s talks are a great source for information for those wanting to learn about the dangers and advantages of the internet.