Life's Patterns

"The Lord commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal Himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and...they shall learn in their own experience who He is." Albert Schweitzer

These past several months I have been reflecting on the difficulties that life's challenges bring us. Mostly because I am surrounded by many tough things as I watch co-workers who I have worked beside lose their jobs because the company can not afford to keep everyone there, and the knowledge that this very thing could happen to me. As I listened to the rumors that go flying around and the fears that my co-workers express I again am so grateful for a Prophet and Apostles who receive revelation from our Savior Jesus Christ for our times right now! They constantly remind me in who I can trust. They remind me of the hope that I am able to have and realize that I will not be left alone. These quotes below and above are some that have brought, hope and peace into my life amongst turmoil and possible strife.

"One of the challenges of this mortal experience is to not allow the stresses and strains of life to get the better of us - to endure the varied seasons of life while remaining positive, even optimistic."
"In our search to obtain relief from the stresses of life, may we earnestly seek ways to simplify our lives. May we comply with the inspired counsel and direction the Lord has given us in the great plan of happiness. May we be worthy to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost and follow the guidance of the Spirit as we navigate this mortal journey. May we prepare ourselves to accomplish the ultimate purpose of this mortal test-to return and live with our Heavenly Father" ~ Elder Tom Perry - Apostle of Jesus Christ

This is My Year!

At the beginning of 2008 amongst all the different activities where we talked about New Years resolutions and goals for the new year, I remember as I pondered what sort of things I wanted to do this year I had the feeling "This is MY Year!" That very phrase penetrated my thoughts and heart . I will let you draw your own conclusions as to what hopeful ideas sprang to my mind from that phrase. ;) This year has come to a close and, I will be honest, the hopeful idea that came I am nowhere near accomplishing the idea that shall not be named :) Sorry feeling a Harry Potter moment!

At the close of this year I have been reflecting on this past year and the awesome thing is that, this has been MY year! I feel like I have had one of the greatest years!

It all started off with an awesome room mate who helped to make this year exciting, fun, and full of so many learning and growing experiences. Elizabeth you rock!


I was able to date an awesome guy for a few months, I have been able to serve the Lord in callings that have strengthened my testimony and love for others! I was challenged to read Jesus the Christ and I felt like I had many life and faith changing experiences as I read from those pages and my testimony of the Savior grew even more!

This summer ROCKED!!!! I was able to travel to 3 National Parks around the country! First stop was the Grand Canyon in June. Elizabeth (my roomie) picked me up from the airport in Arizona and we drove down to the North Ridge of the Grand Canyon. What an experience!! Great Bonding time and even got to meet fellow travelers of the trail. There is some sort of bond that is felt as you are hiking a canyon and you come across a stranger. You know that you are both on a journey that will be physically challenging but well worth it! It is like you become automatic friends as you cross each others paths along the way. There was one group that we found was doing the same hike as us. Which was 16 miles round trip. Down to the river and back to the top of the ridge in one day! We went down the South Kaibab Trail and came up the Bright Angel Trail.

We had gone 13 miles by this point, hence the finger adding a 1.

At the end of June I was able to travel back to the beautiful state of Oregon where I served my mission! :D I went for a framily, yes I spelled that correctly, wedding and then traveled around the state for a few days. While there I went to the beach and Crater Lake National Park.

Starfish

This picture is for my fro, Jason, from my framily!

I love Waves

Crater Lake

Oregon Sunrise

In September Elizabeth and I traveled across Texas 8 hours, and we started in the middle of the state and it still took us 8 hours :) Yeah the state is pretty big! Elizabeth and I traveled to Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Where we hiked and set up camp on the mountain, I might add we had the whole mountain to ourselves!! It was pretty awesome. The next morning we went the rest of the way to the top and enjoyed the view from the Tallest peak in Texas!

Do you see that step compared to her knee?

The end of this year was packed with some great lessons through experience such as the Lord can do anything even if it seems impossible and having hope and being optimistic in uncertain times!

I love what Elder Rasband said in his Conference address in April 2008. He said, "As experiences accumulate in our lives, they add strength and support to each other. Just as the building blocks of our homes support the rest of the structure, so too do our personal life experiences become building blocks for our testimonies and add to our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ."

That is what this year has been for me. Through all of my experiences I have felt how it has prepared me for whatever is to come in this coming year. It has been the end of a season and beginning of a new.

Bring on 2009!

Life just doesn't get better!

It seems that everyone, well almost everyone is blogging about their Thanksgiving week. I must say I had a great one! I had the whole week off from work and I only had classes on Monday and Tuesday. YAY!

Wednesday I went to the temple in San Antonio, then that evening traveled the whole 45 minutes home and spent the next several days with my family! What good times we had.

This was our first Thanksgiving with my new Sister-in-law and she fits right into the family. We give her hard times but that is a sign of love. :) I can't forget the Turkey Bowl. I showed up thinking that I might sit on the sidelines with my little brother who had a cast because he had previously broken his arm playing football. But there were not that many people that showed up to play so I joined the team with my little brother and can I say my brothers rock the field. Seth and Benjamin. I would say that I did, well that really would be a lie. But I still had a good time. Even my little brother who is 11 and in a cast scored the last winning touchdown of our last game. And these guys didn't go easy on him, pushing him down even, I felt my big sister protection coming out a little wanting to punch the guy out but I resisted and rather threatened instead. :)

That night we watched the Texas and A&M game. I was the only one yelling and screaming as my little sister lying right next to me was sleeping through it. It was a fun game to watch as A&M was wiped clean off the field. Later I found out that two of my good friends had been online watching the game together and I wished I had joined in with them to comment on what was happening in the game.

Friday was my sisters birthday! The big 15. Oh my, I have come to realize that it is on my brothers and sisters birthdays when I feel like I actually age. So my sister knowing this little bit of knowledge kept on taunting me with the fact that she was going to be 15. I wanted to treat her like a princess on her birthday so we got all dressed up in Formal dresses and went to the movies to see Twilight. That is the movie she had wanted to see. Neither of us have actually read the books. The movie wasn't brilliant and at the same time it wasn't terrible. It just was. We showed up to the movie theater both of us feeling a little embarrassed, though I was trying my hardest not to show it. :) I told the guy we wanted to see Twilight and he said, "It's a good movie but you didn't have to get all dressed up for it." If I want to get dressed up on a random day don't I have the right!!!! I let him know it was my sisters birthday and I wanted her to feel special. He said ah, and I am sure talked about those crazy girls with his co workers who were all dressed up going to the movie theater. To bad I wasn't in Austin. I could have just said I was doing my part to Keep Austin Weird! Unfortunately Bastrop, TX does not have that same slogan. Darn it!

Saturday night was awesome. I got together with a bunch of girls and one guy and we watched the OU vs. Oklamhoma State game. We spent a lot of our time debating who we should actually cheer for, knowing that we did not want to cheer for either. I finally decided to cheer for good plays. We decided we wanted OU to win but only by a few points 3-4 would have been grand. It was like that until about the last 5 minutes of the 4th quarter when all of a sudden Oklahoma State left the field and OU decided to take advantage. They played a good game up until that point. But it was still a good time, laughing and realizing how funny it was that here we were a bunch of girls watching football and wondering why only one guy was there? Does that seem right. You would think Football and girls would bring in the guys? :) Let me tell you that one guy is one of the smartest guys I know. Plus it was great food!

One of my friends is absolutely hilarious, she takes regular life and tells a story about it and she has you laughing like crazy. I think she would make a great stand up comedian.

Stand up comedy:
Have you ever been to a Football game with girls?

ShaRay: Kari and Wilber are enjoying married... Stop him, Stop him!!!
Carina: Yeah!... What about Kari and Wilber?

Carina: Are Marquel and Braden dating? Whoooooooo!
Tarsha: TOUCHDOWN!!!!! They seem to spend a lot of time together?
Elisa: 2 point conversion YAH! They have been on at least 6 dates!
Marcus: What did I get myself into?

;)

So my week in a nutshell Football, Food, Family, and Friends! I don't know if a week can get much better than that?

Thank you to the Men 2 Nephi 1:21

I want to say Thank you!

Thank you for being virtuous! Every day we are surrounded by those who would turn our innocent words around to being dirty, indecent, or negative. We are surrounded by vulgarity that brings us down instead of lifting us up. I am grateful for those men who shun those unvirtuous things and allow me to feel safe and comfortable as I am in their presence.

Thank you for honoring the Priesthood which you hold! There is nothing that is a greater blessing than having honorable Priesthood friends and husband, someday or today.

Thank you for standing in holy places! I am so grateful for when I go on a date that it is to places that I would feel safe in. Places where I have consequences of good and not evil.

Thank you for being aware of entertainment!

Thank you for keeping the Sabbath Day Holy!

Thank you for Home Teaching!

Thank you for Serving!

Thank you for searching your scriptures!

Thank you for your meaningful prayers!

Thank you for your faith in Christ!

Thank you for following the example of Christ!

Elder Christoffersen said it best. "Good men sometimes make mistakes. A man of integrity will honestly face and correct his mistakes, and that is an example we can respect. Sometimes men try but fail. Not all worthy objectives are realized despite one’s honest and best efforts. True manhood is not always measured by the fruits of one’s labors but by the labors themselves—by one’s striving." Let us be Men, November 2006 Ensign pg. 46-48

Thank you for striving!

Thank you for being Men!

LIVESTRONG

I am participating in my first 5K on October 25th! It will be an exciting day. Not only for me with accomplishing a short term goal I set for myself, but for those who are trying to fight against cancer.
The word LIVESTRONG has a powerful meaning to me. Not only in fighting against cancer but applying it to any battle that we come across in our lives. To me it is setting goals and attaining those goals that you have set for yourself to better yourself! I have personal experience in living strong with setting a goal to lose weight and become more active instead of sedentary. This will be my first 5K I have ever ran. 3 years ago I would not have been able to do this. I would appreciate your support as I go and LIVESTRONG for myself and all of the other battles that people around the world are fighting! This to me is not only about raising money but about proclaiming to the world the ability we all have to LIVESTRONG in whatever we desire! It is about the ability to change, to not be a victim of circumstance, but to rise above and be strong.
The Lance Armstrong Foundation unites people to fight cancer, believing that unity is strength, knowledge is power, and attitude is everything.Through the dollars and awareness that we raise, we can inspire and empower individuals, and we can make life better for the more than 10 million Americans affected by cancer.
If anyone is able to donate and would like to here is a great place to do it at!
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=262612&supid=234017143

Am I really known?

So Facebook has a "fun" little application where you can be compared by your friends with their other friends.
Hmm....
Why do I have this application?
Do I really want to subject myself to the knowledge that I am #3 among all of my friends ranked the craziest. Luckily I lost a place, previously I had the Number 1 and 2 spot.
Or do I want to know that I lost 2 places as being most entertaining.... and 1 place as best public speaker. Great this happened right after my lesson in church on Sunday! Hmm is that saying something.
The only one I agree with is best shopping companion having lost 1 place, if you know me, you know I don't like shopping so I do not make the best shopping companion. Though I guess that would all depend on who I was going shopping with. If it was a girly girl, she would quickly drop me, if it is a guy, well then I might be his favorite girl shopping companion ever, since I don't want to stick around and walk up and down every single aisle in the store!
Honestly though, this comparing people thing is just pretty much pointless. The times that I have gone through and compared, most of the time I am comparing facebook aquaintances and I don't know them well enough to know if they would skip out of class or not. I also adopted my friend Jason's idea of family or framily :) trumps everything. When it is a good thing and a family member shows up or someone that might as well be my family, they are inevitably chosen.
I probably get an e-mail at least once or twice a week telling me that my rankings have changed. Normally I delete it! I should really just go in and tell facebook to stop sending me e-mails on this thing, but I don't feel like sifting through all the mumbo jumbo to turn it off. So I will just keep deleting those and get excited when I see 10 new messages in my inbox, only to find that they are all Facebook drama.

A Day of Delays

God will allow you to be taught a lesson.


Choices affect the way things happen in our lives! Last night I chose to stay up late watching a tv program. I knew I shouldn't but I wanted to watch it, so I did. Before you get the wrong idea it wasn't a terrible show, it was just bad timing. It kept me up late, so when my alarm went off this morning I did not want to wake up. I chose to hit the snooze and laid in bed for a few extra minutes. Yet again another not wise choice. This put me getting out late. It wouldn't have been so bad except that there was more traffic than normal. Earlier there had been accidents on the lower deck and it caused back-ups all the way back to where I get on the freeway. I got to school and was able to find a parking space, which I was actually surprised about. But I ended up walking into class late. Not a big deal for this class, but I am still not a big fan of walking in late. I have to walk in front of the teacher who is already lecturing. The class period went by fine.


Then I had my next class. I enjoy this class, we are learning about the muscles right now, more specifically just the basics of the roles they perform. Eccentric and Cocentric movements in the muscles. Later we will be getting into more of the individual roles of each muscle. But today in the beginning of class my eyes were burning and wanting to shut because last night I chose to stay up. After a while it went away, thank heavens.


Class was over and it was time for me to head off to work. Normally I pack myself a lunch and eat on my drive to work, but I ran out of time this morning, so I was going to quickly stop at a fast food restaurant and get some food to eat on my way to work. I pull up to the drive-thru and order. I get to the window, they take my money and then I proceed to wait. They then ask me to pull up to the yellow line. Whoever designed the layout for the drive-thru did a poor job, or did not think about the poor souls who would have to pull ahead and wait on their meals. I pulled up to the specified yellow line and again wait. Then the person behind me wants to go, but I am blocking there way. I pull out as far as I can without leaving the restaurant but still they are stuck. What I am gonna do? I want my food, and I already paid for it. That is another thing I think i should get my food before I give them my money, or at least at the same time. The girl behind me starts honking her horn. K, not the best way to get on my good side. I hate horns. I know she was frustrated, she wanted to leave, well so did I. I got out of my car and let her know I was waiting on my food. I was losing my patience by this point. I wanted to tell the employee forget it, give me my money back, I don't want your food. Mostly because of the lady behind me honking her horn. One of the employees came out and now asked me if I would pull out of the restaurant and go wait in this other area. Feeling frustrated, instead of venting to the lady of the injustices :) I peeled out of the driveway, and whipped around. I avoided a verbal confrontation with the lady, but my actions were not commendable. I waited a little longer and finally they brought me my food. As I am sitting in the car I know I am not responding well to this situation. It is not even that big of a deal, yet I am making it the problem of the century inside myself. When the lady brought me my food, I know my face was upset, but that is how I was feeling, I was having a hard time of changing that, I tried with my voice to be calmer than I was on the inside and said Thank you, and Have a good Day!


At times in my life I have been very aware of how my anger affects me physically, not just the expression of anger but how I feel inside. I have had experiences of how to release the anger and feeling as the tension I have inside is released. It has been very interesting. Also a choice that can be made.


Now I was running late to work. I would probably make it just right on time instead of a few minutes early. As I am driving along on the normal road I take, today it has been decided that they are going to do road work. Only one Lane is open. I have to stop and wait so that my side of traffic can go. And it doesn't happen just once but twice. I continue on to work, now knowing I am going to be a few minutes late, and one more detour comes up, requiring me to go around a block.


At this point I am laughing to myself thinking how funny it is that I am hitting all of this opposition. All because of a choice that I made last night affecting the delays I had in my day. Had I brought my lunch, yes I would have hit the detours but it would not have mattered, I still would have gotten to work a few minutes early. I would have avoided my impatience at the fast food joint. I wouldn't have been so tired in my class, and I would have made it to my first class on time. Plus I also find I tend to be less patient when I am tired because I am more focused on my needs of just wanting some sleep, and whatever other need pops up, that I forget to think rationally.

Lessons and thoughts I had:

O be wise; what can I say more? Jacob 6:12

When opposition is coming I am so quick to say Satan is messing with me today, How often am I causing my own opposition to occur by the choices I have made?

In reading Jesus the Christ today in between my classes I read about the Rich young man asking the Savior what he needed to do to inherit eternal life. The Savior tells him what he lacks, but the young man feeling overwhelmed by the sacrifice walks away. Talmage then turns the question on the reader, What do I lack?

Such a great question, if we find out how are we going to respond. This is a question that was on my mind and has been well answered.

Since writing this post and before actually posting it I had a great lesson in Relief Society on Elder Uchtdorf's talk "A Matter of a Few Degrees" from the April 2008 General Conference. I was able to correlate my thoughts that I learned here with that talk, in how I was put off a few degrees in the direction I was heading because of the choice I made.

My Double Life

Recently I have discovered what it is like to live in two different worlds. I feel like Superman, not because I am Super :) But because by morning I am a college student and by afternoon to evening I am "real world" Professional. I just need to think of some cool way to change my identity from college student to professional. Hmmmm? Like Superman, changed identity with glasses. Any Suggestions?


In school I am studying Health and Fitness Management. I have now been in my classes for this semester a few weeks. The thought that continues to come to my mind is why did I not figure out how cool this was 8 years ago. Probably because 8 years ago I was a much different person than I am now. I love it, I have classes I get to work out in, and I get to study about muscles and what they do, I get to learn about Nutrition, I get to learn about exercises and their effects on the body. For the first time I am really enjoying my classes and feel it as an effective use of my time!!! I love this part of being a college student!


Unfortunately since it has been 8 years since I started college, technically I could have graduated TWICE! or been done with a masters, working on a Doctorate... But 8 years ago I started on a different path and well here I am today. Now I love where I am, I haven't been in college those full 8 years. I have done some great things, such as serving a mission. But as I was walking around the campus on the first day of school I all of a sudden felt this huge distance from almost everyone else there. Mainly with age. As I continued to walk around I saw someone with a shirt that said 2011 being their graduation year. First of all they looked like a little kid, so I figured they must be a freshman, 2nd of all that is when my plan is to graduate. Taking 9 hrs per long semester and 6 hrs per summer will do that to you. The reason is my full time profession.


The word professional is used loosely. In one of my classes we were discussing what a professional is and the professor said it is: someone who has a specific knowledge in an area. Well I have a specific knowledge in packaging! :) That was meant to be a joke, even though that is part of what I do. Since I first started working at Applied Materials I have moved around quite a bit and gained more skills and knowledge in other areas. In fact so much of a specific knowledge that my job is a mystery to most that I work with, including my supervisors and managers. I figure it is good job security. They figure I must be doing something good because I am contributing to other parts of the Department, so they really don't worry about me.



My daily work apparel! Nice I know, though normally it isn't blue :( I just got lucky that day!



Life for me Monday through Thursday is 6 am - 12:00 getting ready, travel, school and travel!
12:00 - 9:00 is work. My Job is so great though because even though I threw this crazy schedule at them and they said ok, they let me work a normal 6:30-3:30 on Fridays, so I still get my Friday evenings and most weekends when we are not too busy. :) If you are wondering why I keep my job and don't become just a regular full time student. It is because How else am I going to live? I get benefits, they pay for my school, and I get paid. Really it is a really sweet deal, despite long days. I still get to have fun, go to school and gain "real world" experience in the business world.

So even though I can no longer say I will never take another 8:00am class, or I will never take another evening class :D. Living a Double Life isn't so bad.


There are lyrics to a song that I thought was pretty hilarious that described mostly what I felt about my whole college life experience from my viewpoint of now. :P

"I Wish I Could Go Back To College"


I wish I could go back to college. Life was so simple back then.
What would I give to go back and live in a dorm with a meal plan again!
I wish I could go back to college.In college you know who you are. You sit in the quad, and think, "Oh my Gosh!I am totally gonna go far!"
How do I go back to college?I don't know who I am anymore!
I wanna go back to my room and find a message in dry-erase pen on the door!Ohhh...I wish I could just drop a class...
Or get into a play...
Or change my major...

I need an academic advisor to point the way!We could be...Sitting in the computer lab,4 A.M. before the final paper is due,Cursing the world 'cause I didn't start sooner,And seeing the rest of the class there, too!
I wish I could go back to college!
How do I go back to college?!AHHHH...
I wish I had taken more pictures.
But if I were to go back to college,Think what a loser I'd be-I'd walk through the quad,And think "Oh my Gosh..."
"These kids are so much younger than me."

Happiness Is!

I have been reading Jesus the Christ because of an invitation issued to my stake by our Stake President. This is the invitation he extended to us:
"As the Holy Ghost has stirred our souls with desire and has enlightened us with pure insight into Christ’s perfect example of His perfect love, I extend this invitation to each of you: FIRST, I invite you to study the life of Christ. More specifically, between now and our next stake conference on November 8th and 9th, I encourage every member of the Austin Texas Stake to study the four Gospels; in addition, to studying the 3rd Book of Nephi, and the inspired work of Elder James E. Talmage entitled, “Jesus the Christ.”SECOND, I invite each of you to strive every day to become as Christ by expressing charity through your actions that you may always have His Spirit to be you and that you may be found possessing His love, even a manifestation of His divine nature, on your last day." ~Stewart W. Dickson

What an inspired invitation. There has been so much that I have learned as I have studied a little closer the life of our Savior. Christ is what happiness is!

My purpose for mentioning this invitation was because as I was reading in Jesus the Christ I found a great note talking about what happiness is. Because of the title of my blog I thought it only fitting to share with you the insight that I gained from reading.

Reference: "Jesus the Christ" James E. Talmage Chapter 17 note 2. pg 231.

"Happiness includes all that is really desirable and of true worth. Happiness is genuine gold. Happiness is as the genuine diamond, which, rough or polished, shines with its own inimitable luster. Happiness is as the ruby, red as the heart's blood, hard and enduring.

"Happiness is true food, wholesome, nutricious and sweet; it builds up the body and generates energy for action, physical, mental and spiritual.

"Happiness leaves no bad after-taste, it is followed by no depressing reaction; it calls for no repentance, brings no regret, entails no remorse.

"True happiness is lived over and over again in memory, always with a renewal of the original good.

"Happiness is not akin with levity, nor is it one with light-minded mirth. It springs from the deeper fountains of the soul, and is not infrequently accompanied by tears. Have you never been so happy that you have had to weep? I have."

I really enjoyed all of these thoughts but I think the one that had the most personal meaning to me right now in my life was the one about true food "generating energy for action, physical, mental, and spiritual." Happiness has always created an energy within me to be more motivated in so many areas of my life. Obedience is happiness. That is what I have come to find.

I would love to hear your thoughts on which one meant the most to you, and why.

These are times when I have had a taste of what True Happiness is!

Even When You Have To Ride Up Mountains

Writing the first blog post is a difficult thing to do. It seems that it sets the tone for the whole blog.

My whole life I have been learning and changing. In recent years part of my focus of learning has been becoming healthier and keeping a healthy lifestyle. As a freshman in High School I was a stick, literally. In the 3 years I was in High School I gained some weight but was still decent by the time I graduated.

I went to college and gained the freshman 15+. I didn't realize it was happening, it just all of a sudden creeped up on me, and I was overweight. I blame the cafeteria food. :D I wasn't getting asked out on dates, now granted I did go to a college town where the majority of the people are not LDS. In fact the group was extremely small, and I went when I was 17 so I was really young compared to everyone else who was there. I didn't stay very physically active. I knew something needed to change. As I was preparing to go on a mission, I began to be really interested in cooking. I moved home for several months just before my mission and I would love to cook lunch and take it up to my dad at his work. The greatest was that he loved the food I cooked him. :) My dad happens to be a tough critic on food, so it can be nervewracking to cook for him. I started realizing that I wanted to make changes to the way that I ate. I started trying to learn a little about good foods to put into your body and very slowly began to make changes.

Then the mission came. My first area I was in a car for 6 weeks, then it was taken away and given to Elders so the next 5 months my transportation was on bike. Let me just say it is interesting enough wearing a skirt riding a bike. Often we would get conversations from people that we would run into just because of how interesting it was to see 3 girls riding around town in skirts on a bike. :) I came to love riding my bike. It was a blast. There was a point on my mission when I thought back to a blessing I had received from my Father. In that blessing he talked about how I would "Love" things on my mission. That was my attitude that I was blessed with for my bike. Even though there were crazy hills, we were in dresses, and it would mist constantly in Oregon and even every once in a while pour, I loved it. I would often ride down the street in the rain singing "I hope they call me on a mission" to myself, just because I thought it made the whole situation hilarious. I would often think to myself, "at what other time in my life, would I be willing to ride a bike in a skirt, in the rain and love it." I thought it was such a great opportunity I had. As my mission progressed, I began to lose weight. Once I realized how much I loved my bike I tried to use it often, even when I had a car for transportation. Some of my companions were really great in indulging me with my new love. The weight that I was losing began to become noticeable. I had to have a skirt taken in, and a shirt my Aunt sent me for Christmas fit rather nicely. Months later I was given a companion who was so cute and she was skinny. It was with her as my new companion that I began to realize how my clothes were not fitting me any more and that they were actually really baggy. One Sunday as we were getting ready for church she suggested I try on one of her skirts. I had mentioned to her previously how my clothing was really baggy and I needed to go shopping for new clothes. I refused to try on her skirt, I did not want to be humiliated and saddened that her skirt would not fit me, I already knew it wouldn't so why try it. She continued to harrass me :) so finally I gave in and tried on her skirt. To my utter amazement, I fit. I was shocked that I could fit in her clothes. I wore her clothes to church that Sunday and then the next preparation day she took me to Goodwill and that was that. I had lost 5 dress sizes, or 40 pounds. Many of my mission friends asked me how I did it. My reply was always I am not sure. I have reflected on it a lot and aside from having a ton of physical activity introduced into my life, I think a big part of it was the fact that I learned to love me for who I was, despite my physical qualities. Once I was happy with myself, I was able to make a transformation of myself and with that came confidence and even, after my mission of course, dates! :)

Coming home from my mission I was a little scared that I might gain back the weight that I had lost. But after 2 1/2 years I am still plugging along at roughly the same weight, except I have added more muscle because of regular and consistent exercise and good nutrition. I am working on gaining a degree from Texas State in Health and Fitness Management. This has become a lifetime committment to me. The joy that I have felt from being healthier has given me a desire to help encourage others in that same path. It is possible to make those changes, it is not easy but with determination it is possible. I have met so many people who have made the same transformations in their lives. Accomplishing goals they previously had never thought possible. It is such an inspiration to be surrounded by others who are determined to be better, and they accomplish it through their determination, perseverance and patience. Mountains can be conquered.