SAM

No, Sam is not a secret crush that I have been keeping to myself. SAM is actually a part of my true love - learning!

I love school! I love my major, my classes, my professors, my fellow students, and I'm even starting to like my minor a little - thanks to my Intro to Human Resources class. My professor is obsessed with the Strategic Alignment Model (SAM). Her TAs call it her baby, and it's starting to grow on me. I feel that it applies to many facets of life. The strategic alignment model is basically something to make sure your actions are aligned with your goals. A company has a purpose. HR takes that purpose and thinks about what types of people they will need to fulfill that purpose. Then it looks at what types of recruiting activities and such they should participate in to fulfill that purpose. The SAM model is also great because you can go backwards, making sure that you are not wasting any time on activities that are not helping you achieve your purpose.

Today during Relief Society I had a light bulb moment. I should use SAM in my life. My purpose is to become like Christ, to obtain eternal life. In order to do that I need to come to know Christ, keep the commandments, and love everyone. Now, do my every day actions help me to achieve my purpose? Is checking Facebook or Pinterest helping me to become like Christ? It made me re-think some of my daily activities. As I am more able to be a focused and dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ, I will be able to look at my daily activities and know that they are making me more Christlike.

As I think about all of the things that I could/should change, it is a little overwhelming. That's where the atonement is so awesome. If I can learn to recognize those things I need to change, I can pray for the enabling power of the atonement in my life. I am so grateful that I am not alone in the process of perfection. Through Christ all things are possible.

So. If I make cookies today and share a few of them with my neighbors and roommates - then this activity is helping me to fulfill my purpose - right?

Bowling, Brides, and Black Lights

 My dear old mission companion, current roommate, and friend is leaving me for a man. I know. It's unbelievable. How she could choose to do such a thing, I do not know. But well, I guess she is choosing eternal life in the celestial kingdom over living with me for one more semester. Tough choice, but I will work on forgiving her. Celeste is such a neat girl and I am so stinking excited for her to marry Dillon. They are a great couple, and will thoroughly enjoy being together for eternity, I can just tell.

To celebrate this exciting time, my roommates and I kidnapped Celeste (we actually had to tell her she was going visiting teaching, it was the only way to get her away from Dillon) and took her to bowl in the black lights. It was a fun girls night and I am so glad we got to go. Here's some pics.

It was a good time. I love that girl.

I am grateful!

This year I feel grateful for the Holy Ghost. It is so amazing to know that Heavenly Father has given us such a wonderful gift. He gives us the promise that if we strive to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, He will guide us in the way that we should go. The Holy Ghost will be the comforter when we need Him.

This is my friend Drew...

He is a goof ball. :) and I dated him anyways, haha. Drew is Jaiden's roommate. We dated for about a month, and I learned SO much. Here's a list!

• Open communication is awesome in a relationship
• Being yourself is so much fun
• Pray about your relationships, always
• Take time to care for other people
• Always ask if there is anything you can do... .for anyone and everyone!
• Laugh often
• Don't stress, just be obedient
• Calling is ten bazillion times better then texting
• Pray for each other
• Patience is a virtue
• Have courage to follow the spirit
• and lots of other stuff....

The entire time we have been dating we have both been praying and looking for direction. On Sunday we were both kinda down. I think we both knew that us dating wasn't right. I suggested we take a walk. About ten feet out the door we decided that we shouldn't be dating anymore. It was amazing the instant confirmation we felt as we got that off our chests. We kept walking. It started to hail, we ran off and hid under some strangers carport. We were on a spiritual high from having followed the spirit so we may have danced and laughed and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It was probably the most romantic walk we've ever been on, and we were breaking up. Weird. Wonderful. Following the spirit is so neat!

We got home and celebrated by playing Mancala. We told all of our roommates and they definitely didn't believe us - we were way to happy. It was a very special experience. We are definitely still friends, and will still play, and I am so glad. Heavenly Father prepared my heart. It stinks to be single again, but I feel SO good. 

I have no idea why its not right for us. We have both told each other that we are everything we want in a spouse. He is a very good man, with righteous desires. But, I trust my Heavenly Father. Life is so good.

PS the scriptures are awesome too! Check out what I read today in Alma 17

"And it came to pass... that they separated themselves and departed one from another, trusting in the Lord..."

Cool huh??

Enjoying the Moments...

This last month has been spent enjoying the moments with friends and family. Here's a few moments I remembered to take a picture of. 

• Snow College Roommate Reunion at Temple Square. It was so much fun to see these girls. It was funny cause we'd get talking and forget to enjoy the lights. I really love these girls, but missed Lindsay, Shelby, and Jackie Chan. 

Jillian, Kara, Kamilla, me, Krystal, Krystal's friend - Cali 

• Me and my family did this sweet puzzle of the Nauvoo Temple that Sunshine gave me. That there is... a whole bunch of puzzle pieces that look almost the same. It was cool though!

 

• Played lots of games, one my favorites - Guesstures

The mighty hunter

I believe that was raaaainbow

Not really sure what that was...

I love Elise's face!

Be strong ann, be strong!

aaa... planting, maybe?

That's my "oh no why did I pick this one?" face :)

• I got to attend my good friend Sarah's sealing to Zachary Averett. It was an awesome experience. i am SO SO SO stinkin happy for them. Weddings, I love weddings, drinks all around!

Alyssa, Random guy, Jena, Zachary, Sarah, Kaitlyn, Random Guy, me!

The Love birds!

A dream is a wish your heart makes...

I ate a deliciously white-chocolate dipped fortune cookie today (gotta love working at a candy store) and this was my fortune: "Your dreams will soon come true." As I read that I couldn't help but think "that fortunes a little late, cause they already have." What dreams?

• For as long as I can remember I've wished and hoped and dreamed to have a snow day, and today I did! Thank goodness I work at an elementary school so I could appreciate it. 
• I've always hoped and dreamed of going on a mission... and I leave in two weeks! 
• I've dreamed of playing my violin in "The Messiah," and I had that amazing opportunity on Dec. 12. 
• Since before I was knee-high to a grasshopper I've hoped and dreamed and looked forward to receiving my endowment in the Temple. That dream came true on Nov. 5. 
• I've also dreamed of being able to go to the Temple with my friends. Shandi and Feleicia came when I received my endowment, Steph, Shandi, and I went on Nov. 27. Alyssa and I went on December 15, and on Thursday I'll get to attend with Sarah. Next Tuesday I will have the honor of witnessing Sarah's sealing to Zachary. I am so grateful for the amazing examples of my friends. I don't think I could've been more blessed in that category. 

Just to name a few :) I am feeling so blessed lately. Heavenly Father sure takes care of me. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much He loves me. Dreams do come true, so keep dreaming! :) 

Joy to the World

the Lord is come! What a wonderful season this is to be able to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ.

My wonderful mom got us tickets to go see Savior of the World. It was very special and absolutely wonderful. I learned so much, and I began to understand a little bit more just how amazing it is that the Savior was born, and that He fulfilled His mission on the earth. I am so grateful we have a whole month dedicated to celebrating the birth of the Savior. "He was the firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten Son in the flesh, the Redeemer of the world" and I am so grateful.

Dearest Scrumptious shared this with us at Oakcrest, and it's stuck with me ever since. Sorry it's cut off, it's the sound that's the most important though. Listen close. I love it!

I hope that we can make time in our busy schedules to share the Savior's love with all those around us. 

I KNOW they called me on a mission!!!

I have always wanted to serve a mission. It's been my dream for as long as I can remember. The gospel brings me so much peace and joy, I just want everyone to feel it! As of a few years ago I determined that if I had too... I could resign myself to getting married instead of a mission, but only if I had too :) I know that marriage is supposed to come first, and if we have the opportunity we should take it! It is after all a saving ordinance. A mission is a great thing, but eternal marriage is absolutely essential.


The decision to serve a mission has been a long time coming. I have never had to make such a life-changing decision in my life. I've prayed about it for about a year. "Often the answer was wait, you don't need to know yet.  Do all you can to prepare for a mission, and we'll see." At one point I thought of something my brother-in-law John once told me "The Lord cannot direct a parked car." So I decided to move forward, start my papers and see how it feels. I was getting all excited... then... I failed my physical (I guess it's hard to pass if you can't walk, I was still on crutches). Ouch! But from that I learned that Heavenly Father will stop if you if it's not right.


I worked all summer on spiritual highs and loved it. Sharing my testimony and teaching the gospel has to be one  of my favorite things in the whole world! I moved home in August and was super blessed to find two jobs within a week, both in Manti. Don't tell me the Lord's hand wasn't in that. I felt like it was a little blessing. Heavenly Father saying "good work, you're where I want you."


About a month later this boy came home from his mission. I was super stoked to see him. We played, we laughed and we had so much fun together. My plan was this: see how things feel when Evan gets home. If things work out great! If not, then I get to go live my dream of servingi a mission, also great! People said I would know within a couple weeks. Ya right! I always thought there's no way you can just know that. Well a couple weeks and a few dates after he got home, and I began to pray about a mission again. It was feeling good. I prayed, fasted, went to the Temple, studied my scriptures and then... then it was time for General Conference! I approached general conference with this question in my heart - should I serve a mission? Then President Monson opened General Conference with this (time starting at 2:48)

My favorite part: “A word to you young sisters: while you do not have the same priesthood responsibility as do the young men to serve as full-time missionaries, you also make a valuable contribution as missionaries, and we welcome your service."


That's when I knew I would be serving a mission. Sunday night after conference I started my papers again. Two weeks later I turned them in. Everything went so much smoother then it had before. My boss at the elementary school has been super supportive. I passed my physical! I received my renewed passport in the mail. It all seems perfect. It feels so good to be able to answer the Prophet's call for more missionaries so immediately. I know it is right and good. 


I received my mission call on Wednesday, October 27, 2010. I enjoyed opening it with all the local family there to share the excitement, and all the not-so-local family there on phones. My mom posted it here. It was amazing.

I will be serving the Bolivia Santa Cruz mission! It's everything I'd hoped for: South America, Spanish speaking. Third world country (Bolivia is the poorest country in SA), it hardly gets cold, and I'm leaving on January 5! I can hardly believe it! I feel very blessed and a tiny bit spoiled. The more I learn about my mission the more I realize how perfect it is for me. I can't wait. I truly feel honored to get to serve the Lord at this time in my life as a full-time missionary. I know it is going to be one of the hardest experiences of my life, but I know with the Lord's help, together we can make it one of the best experiences of my life. I am so stoked to be able to share the joy and peace of this gospel with my Bolivian brothers and sisters. Can life get better than this? I submit that it cannot! 


Hurrah for Israel!