Ramblings, Thoughts, and Vents

Before I type anything, I already know how much I am going to probably regret this post!  Still, I'm just gonna let it happen because tonight I don't really care.  Besides, it's really not my business what anyone else thinks of me.  With that being said, here is what is on my mind.

I am so tired of fitspiration posters with women with six packs.  Who cares if you have a six pack or not.  A six pack is not necessarily an indicator of health.  Don't you remember the battle over skinny models and girls all thinking they have to be skinny?  Well, now the new "fad" is a six pack.  Yes, I'll admit that I would love to have a six pack.  I don't have one.  That doesn't mean that I am not healthy.  I know I am healthy and I think I am pretty dang good looking if I can say so myself--one pack and all.  


Now to my next item of business.  I have been thinking about this quote a lot lately:

"If it is important to you, you will find a way.  If not, you'll find and excuse."  

Well, I am guessing that six pack is not as important to me as cupcakes!  Seriously, I have thought about this quote and relationships.  I think that we find a way to stay in contact with people that are important to us.  I'm not just talking about being friends on Facebook contact but genuine contact. Rather it is randomly calling or checking on a person to check on them or actually having "real" time with that person.  I think of all the people I've meet.  I only stay in contact with a small percentage of them.  Guess I know who is important enough to me to make the effort.  Life is about choices, we choose who we want in our lives.  On the other hand, people have to choose to let us in their lives.  I could go deeper and further with this one but I will just say that I don't beg to be part of anyone's life or to have any type of relationship with anyone that doesn't put forth the effort to have a relationship with me.

The quote also has me thinking about life goals and dreams.  There are things I say I want to do, and I really do want to do them, but I am not doing them.  Guess they are just not important enough to me to be a priority.

Last little ramble: I went to the single's branch today.  I didn't go with any intention of meeting "the one" or whatever you want to call it. (I know that there is no "the one" by the way...don't get me started on that.)  I simply went because I am bored and I wanted to meet new people.  Still, I hate how it is sometimes treated like a meat market.  I am not there to "get on anyone."  I won't say it wouldn't be a perk though.  I just think people should be treated as people and that includes not treating the branch like a meat market.

There, I'm done...with all that I am going to allow myself to say out loud.  Sweet Dreams.

2012 and Things I know

Twenty-Twelve is almost over!  It is hard to believe.  I don't know if I got too terribly much accomplished this year, but I like to think that I am a better person than I was a year ago.  So, as the year ends I am going to declare 10 things I know...

1) The church is true.  Even if I wanted to deny this fact, I couldn't.  How do I know?  Because I have had days where I have wanted to deny it and couldn't.

2) I love my students. They drive me crazy, test my patience, and bring so much joy and happiness to my life.  I don't have kids of my own, so it is nice to be loved by so many children and to know that they are mine for 8 hours a day.

3) My nieces and nephews are the cutest things ever.  They have wonderful parents.  Each one is such a unique individual and I know each one has the potential to change the world

4) Family is everything.  Sometimes I can be pretty mean to my family. Still, they are always there and show me more love than I sometimes feel like I deserve.

5) I love CrossFit!  It has truly changed me...I could go on about this, but won't.

6) It is possible to maintain long distance relationships with friends.  My 4 best friends are all at least 1,500 miles away and I still feel as close to them as I did when we all lived less than a block away.  I just miss cooking, cuddling, and star-gazing with them.

7) If you don't put yourself "out-there" you won't get results.  This is true in so many aspects of your life.  Even failure is a result.  You won't always succeed, but you will never know what the result will be if you don't try.

8) Be happy.  The only other choice is to be grumpy.  That doesn't sound fun at all.

9) Just do it!  If you want something go out and get it.  Talking about it doesn't get you anywhere.  This is definitely advice I should follow more often.

10) I am less than a year and a half from turning 30!  YIKES!!!

My Latest New Obessions

I may have a weird obsession with cleaning my ears lately.

I am nervous I am going to go to the doctor one day and he is going to think I have really nasty ears if I don't clean them MULTIPLE times a day.

 

I may be obsessed with granola.

This is to the point I delay getting in the shower because I can't eat the granola while I am in the shower.  Today I sat and pondered how I could manage to eat granola in the shower and avoid getting it wet.

I am obsessed with the way my Mr. Clean with Febreeze bathroom cleaner smells.

I can smell it all throughout the house every time I clean.  I would probably just sit and sniff it out of the bottle if I didn't think it would kill my brain cells.

Alma 32

There is so much on my mind.  So, I am going to write in paragraph format tonight and hope I don't ramble and become boring.

I finished my study of The Book of Mormon yesterday morning.  Today, sacrament meeting focused on The Book of Mormon.  I had the opportunity to hear a member's conversion story and how The Book of Mormon played a large role in his conversion.  It is always refreshing to hear converts' testimonies of The Book of Mormon.  I listen to their testimonies with awe because I have never been without the book and don't understand how life would be without the fullness of the gospel.  I am glad that he was so willing to share his conversion story.

He mentioned reading about faith in Alma 32 during his talk.  This is the second time within the past few weeks that a friend had mentioned that particular chapter about faith and had been meaning to reread the chapter since my first friend mentioned the chapter.  I had wondered how faith played a role in my life outside of believing the basic principles of the church.  For example, "How does faith play a role in my daily decisions as an educator?" or "How does faith make a role in the small decisions I make on a daily basis such as what I eat?"  I also wondered how faith played a role in how I perceived my future.

So, I may or may not have chose to read Alma 32 while the last speaker spoke in sacrament.  I am still researching to find answers to my questions.  Still, the answer that came to me today was how inner connected faith and hope were.  Sometimes I feel like I have faith but I do not have hope.  Then, I wonder if one can have faith and not have hope. 

In conclusion, life is going to be hard no matter what.  The things that are bothering me now will probably seem so small in a few months.  I have a lot to learn about faith and hope.  Maybe my lack of faith and hope are connected to how self-centered I can be at times.  I don't know.  So, I am going to try to find ways to serve others and nourish the seed of faith I have and learn to hope.  While I am dong this, I will keep smiling.  After all, tomorrow is another day.

More Sunday Ramblings

I have been off sugar for 24 hours and I am pretty sure I am having DT's.

My body is constantly sore.

I had an epic fail while trying to go salsa dancing.

I feel like I spend too much time with six year olds.

I miss grown up time.

Being over-animated is overrated but part of being a teacher.
Lesson planning consumes my life.
I don't think fried pickles should count as carbs.
Bacon is probably the food of the Gods.
I may be a little too competitive.
I think too much...maybe I am ADHD.
The thought of becoming a cougar has been entertaining me.
I miss star gazing with my besties.

Thoughts about Ether

 I finished the book of Ether today.  I am almost finished reading the Book of Mormon this year.  I try to read it at least once a year.  Anyways, today as I was reading I was struck by Coriantumr's reaction when he noticed that his people were really going to be destroyed because he chose not to repent.  He mourned but, "would not be comforted." (See Ether 15:3)  I can only imagine the sadness that comes with seeing men, women, and children fighting until death and their bodies heaped upon the Earth.  Yes, I visualize the wars every time I read about them.  It makes scripture study so much more exciting!

Although my trials in life are nowhere near compared to Coriantumr's and I am pretty sure I make better choices than he made I often wonder how often I refuse to be comforted.  How many times are we told in Isaiah that "His hand is stretched out still" no matter what.  I have struggled with some things lately and I wonder if I would be struggling so much if I allowed myself to be comforted.  I wonder if how my attitude towards myself and others would differ if I swallowed my pride.

I am going to try to allow myself to be comforted.  Maybe then will I embrace the great things in my life and the not so great things won't seem as significant.

Thoughts for the Day

This has been a crazy, busy, stressful week for me!  

Overwhelmed doesn't even begin to describe how I am feeling.

I finally got moved into my classroom but it is still a mess.

I still don't feel like I know where everything in my classroom is.

I should probably just take a few deep breaths.

I realized how much I HATE hospitals.

The would have, should have, could haves in life really make me contemplate.

I am still petrified of the unknown.

The idea of moving still intrigues me.

Life is too short to have regrets.