My little brother is currently serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Indiana. I have a stack of letters for Elders he is serving with because he tells everyone to write me. I went on a date with one of them before who came back and is living somewhere in Utah. He was home for about 3 months and was still kinda in missionary mode. We went to the MTC because he wanted to really really see it. I have never seen a man more excited to see the MTC....
It is still fun getting letters for silly Elders. I usually try to write back too. I hear missionaries love letters.
My brother is coming home in February, I am so excited!
Last week my three girl friends Heidi, Mckenna and Michal (yes a girl named Michal) came over and we watched a chick flick (All About Steve) and I attempted to make cinnamon rolls. I was up till 12:30 and they still were not quite done so I went to bed. Everyone had left by that point.
I think it is important to have girl friends. Someone to talk to when you need to complain about guys or just want to go out and have a good time (in my case its usually staying in). There is a difference between "girl talk" and gossip. Girl talk uplifts while gossip is just mean.
I am grateful I have great girl friends here in Utah! They are amazing! There are always there when I need someone to talk to or to go to Winco with to buy food cause I have nothing to eat or to come over and do a puzzle with me and watch chick flicks and attempt to make Nutella Hot Chocolate. Or Heidi is always great to go hiking or to the gym or any other random thing we decide to do. Heidi and I have been friends since 2008. We went to BYUH together so we would always go to the beach together. Mckenna and Michal I just met in my ward here in Orem but I love them already.
I have been missing out not having girl friends for most of my life. I always said I do not get along with girls very well for different reasons but I got over myself. Especially when I moved to Orem and they called me to be in the Relief Society Presidency and I had to get to know all the girls in the ward. It has been a great experience so far and I am looking forward to serving and getting to know many other amazing sisters in my ward.
Last night I had the opportunity to go to the Provo Temple and do a session for a family name. Richard G. Scott said "Any work you do in the temple is time well spent, but receiving ordinances vicariously for one of your own ancestors will make the time in the temple more sacred, and even greater blessings will be received." I have been finding that to be true. Last year I found a bunch of family names that have yet to be done so I printed them off with the goal of taking them all to the temple. It has been a year and I am almost done. I gave the guy names to my brothers to do and they haven't been able to do them yet because one is on a mission with no temple but comes home in February and the other one just went through for the first time Tuesday.
I felt a little chastised this last conference when Richard G. Scott went on to say "Ancestors who have been found are no doubt anxious and thrilled when their names are cleared for ordinances. They, however, may not be very happy when they have to continue to wait for their ordinances to be performed." I have had those family names for a while now and I am just now almost done. Before I moved to Utah it was because the closest Temple was 3 hours away and I hated that drive because traffic usually made it longer but now that I live in Utah, The Land of Temples, I do not have that excuse anymore. I have been trying to go at least every other week.
Richard G. Scott said:
I testify that the Spirit of Elijah is touching the hearts of many of Father’s children throughout the world, causing the work for the dead to accelerate at an unprecedented pace. But what about you? Have you prayed about your own ancestors’ work? Set aside those things in your life that don’t really matter. Decide to do something that will have eternal consequences. Perhaps you have been prompted to look for ancestors but feel you are not a genealogist. Can you see that you don’t have to be anymore? It all begins with love and a sincere desire to help those beyond the veil who can’t help themselves. Check around. There will be someone in your area who can help you have success. This work is a spiritual work, a monumental effort of cooperation on both sides of the veil, where help is given in both directions. Anywhere you are in the world, with prayer, faith, determination, diligence, and some sacrifice, you can make a powerful contribution. Begin now. I promise you that the Lord will help you find a way. And it will make you feel wonderful.
I want to add my testimony to Elder Scott's. I know that temple work is important and will make us happy. Every time I go to the Temple I come out happy. I know that my time in the Temple is worth it. Even though when I go to the Temple I do the work for someone else and I am serving, I think I get way more out of it. I love how strong the Spirit is in the Temple. The more I go to the Temple, the more I love it and the more I learn even though there is still a TON I do not understand. I know it is true and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in the Temple.
I woke up this morning and got ready for work like I do every day. When I left the house there was white stuff on my car and some was slightly falling but it would melt before it hit the ground. I have never seen snow fall before so I was super excited! Everyone keeps telling me I am going to get over liking it really fast... I hope not cause then my winter would just suck! I figure it is better to keep a positive attitude about things rather then hate it. I already dislike being cold and it seems like I have a heater on constantly at work, in my room, and in my car. I do not have any winter clothes either... The only two places I have lived have been California and Hawaii... and they do not really require you to wear warm clothes much. When I lived in Hawaii, I would be surfing this time of year instead of bundled up and sitting in front of a heater. I am excited for a white Christmas tho! Except I will probably be in California for Christmas...
There is this guy. ( I believe all problems start with that line) he is very tall and very attractive and he started giving me lots of attention and hanging out with me a lot because it turns out he thinks I am very attractive and cool and awesome etc... Needless to say I was happy and was enjoying this attention and time spent together. Then I find out he has a girlfriend (big disappointment) BUT she is on a mission and will be gone for a pretty long time. I can win him over, right? THEN I find out he is casually dating this other girl in the ward BUT then they break it off (because she is smarter then me). I know what I SHOULD do but I do not know what I am going to do....
Why do girls think they can change a guy? I know this isn't true and will never work but sometimes I can just not help it. One of these days when I am married and look back on the time spent dating other guys I will probably just laugh at myself and wonder what I was thinking.
A few weeks ago in church I was teaching Relief Society and we were talking about guys (yes, that is right we talk about guys in Relief Society) and the Bishop was making a comment about how guys are not going to change after you marry them. Find a guy who is right for you now because he isn't going to change. That was a big eye opener for a lot of the girls. So if you like a guy who is not committed to you and is dating around and says he is waiting for his girlfriend who is on a mission (which I personally think is stupid) but he isn't being faithful. Those same attributes are not going to change just because you want them to.
One my favorite movies is "He is just not that into you." My roommates and I would watch it all the time in college. Moral of the movie: if a guy wants to date you, he will make it happen. ( I am not sure that fits but I liked it) If you like a guy and think he will come around eventually, don't waste your time. Most likely he isn't into you.
So ladies do not waste your time with jerk guys. There are plenty of GREAT guys out there who are just waiting for you to come along and they will treat you the way you deserve. You only need one guy to fall in love with you. It is the quality not the quantity that counts. (That was from a fireside I saw once in college and it has always stayed with me)
For all you nice guys who think you will never get a girl: do not give up! Girls want to be treated like queens and you do not want a girl who would settle for less. Do not change just because you think that is what will get you dates. Start asking girls out! Be bold and don't be afraid of reject. It happens to everyone. Keep an eternal perspective.
I have decided to write a blog that most people will not see just because. This is a picture of my family during Christmas 2012. I turned 24 that day. I am so old and single and broke. I have no money and no prospects. But I told myself I will be rich when I am 25.
