Sunday, October 30, 2011

I LOVE FALL!!!


 

The Sounds


The Smells!                                                           and the Colors!!! 


I don't know why, but fall always reminds me of my favorite poem by Robert Frost:

The Road Less Taken

 Two roads diverged in a yellow road,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth.

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps a better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same.

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all
the difference.


Sometimes when my life is going different than planned, I have to remind myself that the times that I have grown the most as a person and the times that I have enjoyed the most have been the times that I took the road less traveled by. It's taking the road less taken that makes life more interesting! Choosing the less trodden path can change our perspective and help us to see our strengths and weaknesses, as well as give us opportunities to serve others. I hope I can always take the road less taken!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Vignettes of My Life

I've tried several times to create a blog and failed miserably. However, now that I am also failing at writing regularly in my journal, I decided that it's time to try spending a few minutes every week or two to write a thought in this blog. I'm not a super creative person, nor am I spectacular in anyway. I'm just an ordinary girl from Provo, Utah, trying to survive a busy and demanding college life. My dream is to make a little difference in the world around me. I have a big smile and lots of room in my heart to love the people around me. The purpose of this blog is just to create a little space that I can share my thoughts, feelings, pictures--little vignettes of my everyday life.

The 5 Minute-a-Day Cure for Feeling Lonely

Sometimes even when I'm surrounded with friends and people that I care about, I feel lonely. I think we all do. I think it's part of life. But the fact is that no matter how insignificant and small we are, we're not alone. Our Heavenly Father is always there for us. I love how Elder Scott taught us in General Conference last weekend that holy scriptures can become our friends that are always there for us:

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.… They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost. Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world...How do you personally use the scriptures? Do you mark your copy? Do you put notes in the margin to remember a moment of spiritual guidance or an experience that has taught you a profound lesson? Do you use all of the standard works...?" Elder Richard G. Scott "The Power of Scripture"

If scriptures are the words of God through which Heavenly Father speaks to us, and scriptures can be our friends, then it stands to reason that God is also our friend. How great is it to know that we have a Heavenly Father who knows us, loves us and cares about each of us individually?

The past month I've been struggling to read my scriptures consistenly. I've been frustrated with myself for not doing as well as I'd like to in that area and in other areas in my life. A couple days before conference my wonderful bishop committed me to read 5 minutes a day in the Book of Mormon. 5 minutes a day is totally do-able. I mean, it takes me about 10 minutes to eat breakfast and it's super easy to read while eating. He asked me to mark my calander when I start and to keep track of it. If I miss a day, I should start over. When I reach my year mark of reading consistenly for 5 minutes a day, he said it will be a habit. When I read every day for 25 years, it will be a part of life that I can't go without.

Elder Scott was so inspired to begin general conference with exactly the thing I needed to remember! God is definitely looking out for me!

5 minutes a day is possible to spend with friends.