Be calm

The semester is coming to a close and they are starting to put up Christmas trees in the library.  We had the season's first snowfall yesterday and it made me extremely joyful to play in the falling snow, but also very contemplative. On what subject do my thoughts linger to... what in the world am I going to be doing with my life come next month?!
Yes I walked in August but I will officially be done with school come December, a few short days away really. I have been searching, scouting, praying, asking, pondering, debating and have written more pros and cons lists than I know what to do with!
In m NCLEX prep class we discussed some of our favorite scriptures (yes only at BYU) we talked about Psalms 31:18 Be still and know that I am God. This has become a mantra of mine when I start to freak out. I know I am learning to trust. I am learning that I need I will be officially cut off from the college life and will be an adult making my own decisions so I better start practicing now! I know that all will work out the way it is suppose to, I just need to act and do my part. I just keep wondering what that is though that I need to do. I have been applying to residency programs, to no avail yet. I am applying to places in Utah, since I am coming back in January. I guess I also need to remember the scripture in 2nd Timothy 1:7 " For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind" I know I need to be motivated by faith and not fear. It is hard when faced with the unknown. Earlier this week when I was reading in Hebrews 11 seeking for some Faith stamina I read verse 8, which says "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went." In other words I need to have faith no matter where I go even if I don't know what is in store for me.
There are just somedays I love Utah (usually when I am no where near I-15) but others where I would love nothing but  to step out into the unknown armed with well ... nothing. I just feel stuck in a way and I want adventure and change, yet I love the life I lead, but I am coming to the realization that it is all about to change. College is really over.  oh what a sad statement that was. I know it won't last long for me because I love learning and want to pursue a masters degree.
I am not sure yet what consensus I will come to, in order to ask that specific question if it is right or not, but I will keep acting. In the meantime I will try and be still, be calm, and remember that He is in control.

"I have no life, because I am studying to save yours"- BYU college of nursing

Come to the Mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:3)

I have a new calling in my ward, which is Relief Society teacher! I am really excited about this calling because I love teaching and RS is not as intimidating as Sunday School for some reason to me. This past Sunday I team taught with another girl in my ward about the temple and family history.

The Orlando temple I went last year.

Provo Temple

The temple as described in the bible dictionary is "literally a house of the Lord, a holy sanctuary in which sacred ceremonies and ordinances of the gospel are performed by and for the living and also in behalf of the dead. ( 1Peter 4:6; 1 Cor 15:29) A place where the Lord may come, it is the most holy of any place on the earth. Only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness." I thought the last statement to be extremely poignant that our homes could even but actually are comparable to these beautiful buildings. I believe it is because of what we learn in both can help us become the people God has intended us to be in reaching our full potential to be like Him.
In the true to the faith it teaches us also that the purpose of all that we do in the church is to "point us to the Savior and the work we do in holy temples." I know that when I have the temple as my focus or goal in life it helps me keep my covenants I have already made and gives me an eternal perspective on life. I thought it was interesting how even the temple grounds can symbolize Christ and help lead us to Him. There is usually some form of water or trees on the grounds. To me the water represents Christ (John 4:14) and the trees are the ordinances that we perform to be like Him and return to His presence.  I think both are summed up together in the verse from 1NE 11:25. It all really just represents the Love of God and His mercy.

Rexburg, ID where my friend Ann was married this summer.

I love what President Monson said about temples in his last talk, "temples are more than stone and mortar. They are filled with faith and fasting. They are built of trials and testimonies. they are sanctified by sacrifice and service." I believe that all of those things helped build temples but also what keeps them operating today.

Bountiful, UT temple where my friend Ashley was married in August.

I also love what he said about blessings of going to the temple, "... we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified." Now that is power from on high!

 This summer was packed with blessings. One off those special blessings was going to different temples all over the world. I had the opportunity to go to the temple in Tonga, D.C., and Palmyra. Each place offered the same blessings of peace and genuine love felt from my Heavenly Father, but expressed through different experiences. In Tonga I was blessed with the beautiful singing of the Tongan members within the temple. Their love of the gospel and others was evident in the spirit their singing brought into the room. It was one of such pure love for the people of Tonga and the group of nursing girls I went with as well.

In D.C.  I was able to sit for a long time in quietness as we waited for more people to come. I was so excited to go to this temple because this is where my parents were married and sealed! I finally was able to go into the baptistry this time!

Kristen, Hollie, Karl, and me at the temple. (the bus pulled up right before we took our picture of course!)

DC temple with my friend Hollie

     I also went to the Palmyra, NY temple The whole inside of the temple has stain glass windows depicting images of the sacred grove and you feel the sacredness of both places because of the presence of the Lord found in each. There is also a large window directly facing the Sacred Grove in the temple. This temple trip was particularly special to me because it included some of my closest friends. They sacrificed the opportunity to do a session to come do baptisms instead, which meant a lot to me. It was incredible to be able to serve with these people all summer and then to do so in the temple was such a joyous experience. It truly was one of those perfect moments filled with pure friendship! I will never forget it!

    What connects all these temple experiences for me all over the world and for the past year that I have attended the temple I have always been given Hungarian names. I lived in Hungary for three and a half years so I was always excited to get names from there. When I started noticing a pattern I began to wonder why? It may be because temples all over the world were working on Hungarian names for the past year, but I believe there are no spiritual coincidences. When I was in Palmyra some of the counselors had been in the temple all week doing work and had never once received a Hungarian name till I came. Either way I know and feel of the love that Heavenly Father has for me each time, which is such a blessing to me.

One night we were there for a devotional on the temple grounds. The temple President told us to lock the temple gate when we were done. Needless to say we were really excited to be the only ones on temple grounds and to be able to lock the temple gate! It was a unique experience!

Jason, Karl, and Dax our priesthood holders that the temple workers thought were youth.

Palmyra temple grounds.

View of the temple from the where the sacred grove is.

Beautiful Sara and Jenna on our rainy temple day.

Part of the B.C. team that went to the temple that day.

Some of my besties!

Which state does it hurt in now? VA to Ma to NY!

Efy life has taken over and what seems to have been a couple weeks feels like the months have passed since I last update on the happenings of the invincible health counselors. At least it feels that way and we are livin' on a prayer daily to stay awake on the little amounts of sleep we have gotten over the past six weeks. We are on our way to palmyra new York for our last week of the summer! We have been in seven different states lately ad we just finished a week in Amherst, massachusetts.

Audrey, Sean, Ariel, and Melanee

Besties

SO it rained really hard one day and Kristen fell and then rolled in the mud a bit (was a hard day) I laughed so hard at here, so to make her feel better I asked her if she wanted to give me a hug, knowing full well that I would get a bit muddy too. Not a good combination with a white shirt. Thankfully I didn't get hosed down by the Searles like she did!

Emma helping SVU's new knight in shining armor.

Our last couple of weeks were a bit dull as all the youth did such a good job with the water competition we have weekly. so needless to say we were ready for a little more excitement in umass. Little did we know what we were in for! We had boys vomiting everywhere, broken arms and toes, missing medicine(not the only thing that got lost and never returned either), platelet problems aka lots of blood, dental problems, and lots of interesting emotional issues to deal with. Of course that was only half of what went on that very challenging week! I believe it was the refiners fire (Malachi 3:3)that we had to go through to get to palmyra I hope. There were a lot of miracles that have happened over the past weeks as the youth have realized the love heavenly father has for them and their potential to become as they follow the path that Christ has paved for and is wanting to walk with them. I don't get too many little moments with the youth but I have three that have been such a blessing to me and honor that the Lord would allow me to be a part of.

Flower Fairies!

He loves me, he loves me not...NO he loves me, he loves me, he loves me!!!

I got some dreams in an XXL polo!

The master chef at work

I love you, I love you, I love you!

The new HCs

Secret Service with Kristen and Jason

Kirk and I with some of our boys from Rise with us!

 The first one was when I was on one morning taking care of a couple of participants, there was one youth that I thought maybe I should wait for Karl to come help me with, but after a debating in my head on what I should do I felt like I should go see him. After I was done taking care of him a girl came up to me saying she felt nauseous. After talkig to her for a while I discovered she had an eating disorder she was struggling with. I talked with her for a while about it and how she was handling it. I then talked to her about being a mentor and helping someone else cope with their trials and how in turn that might help her. I then share a scripture that has helped me in the past from D&C 121:45 which reads 45 Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven." I talked about how relying upon Christ and changing our thought processes to a different track can help give us the confidence we need in this life. Later that day was when the excitement for me came as we listened to the session director give a lesson on that very scripture! It was everything she needed to hear and talk about. It was uch a trstobybro me of how the Lord is in our lives an knows rag of us individually. His plan us eternal as He puts all the pieces together for us. I am glad I decided to go see that one youth, which I now recognize was the spirit telling me to do so. I am grateful I thought to share that scripture and that the session directors felt inspired to focus on it that day. Tender mercies all around.

My favorite picture of us.

Me and my gang!

Beatles crossing in UMASS

What week six can do to ya

Crickey!

Our fearless leader- Christian

FSOY standards Dax Man to the rescue

Laura and I on the creepy 11th floor.

Flower fairies unite forces again

This was just Jason's side job he is actually a model

Me and my little brothers, well maybe not in stature. These boys are going to be the best missionaries!

Kate, Rachel and me matchy, matchy!

Palmyra here we come. Our last roadtrip together in Shirley.

Karl's dumbfounding, butt slapping deja vu!

Gotta love that face!

We of course brought all the essentials with us to Palmyra. Gatorade anyone?

Unfortunately I can't remember the other experiences because I started updating this a while ago. I am in palmyra right now well actually the hospital with a participant. New York is beautiful and here is such a sacred spirit and feeling here.

In front of the Palmyra temple. Can you tell how tired I look?

Sara and I trying to stay awake for the Whitmire farm tour.

The sacred Grove

Two heavenly beings and some besties in the back!

Karl, Kristen, Whit, Dax!

How many times have you locked the temple gate? 

ONCE!

Roomies!

Walking to the grove early in the morning.

In the sacred grove. A sacred place where Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father appeared to Joseph Smith

With my southeasties! Ashley and Liz

Surprise its your birthday seven weeks later Karl! Since we didn't get to celebrate it the first time together! We will next year, since we will be celebrating our friendiversary, someone's 23rd birthday, and 16 years for me as a member of the church.

What happens when I am defenseless late at night.

HCs really doing their job. Combining physical and spiritual health! ;) Teach, text, testify from the taking it home lesson. He didn't have anything to write except his bandage we had put on him.

Sweet boys and sweet smelling flowers.

The HC squad. Our trusty car Shirely, as I liked to call her.

Road trippers and besties for life!

Finally a picture with Jason, Jason,Jason, ohhhhh!

I was in the sacred grove a lot yesterday, such a peaceful place. I felt unworthy at first to enter into a place where God the father and Jesus Christ had been. My mom reminded me that everyone is welcome and all that have ever asked a question of God before are worthy to enter. I was particularly reminded of this when I had the opportunity to sing a song for a devotional there last night. The song is entitled "He knows me better" it testifies of how he knows each of us and what we are going through. Just as He knew Joseph smith's name as he entered the grove to ask of God which church he should join. I am so thankful to now know of this Place in new York and that it has and always exist as a testimony of the sacred events that happened here in restoring the gospel to the earth. These youth have been amazing this summer as they have taunt me truths, conquered their fear with faith, and triumph daily through trying circumstances at home or school. They are valiant and are testimonies to me of the power of the atonement in helping people change their lives for the better. So grateful I get to be here and learn with them! I love my job and all the people I work with. Going to miss it so much after this week. Trying not to be too sad about it being over but joyful that it happened!