A Texas girl. A BYU graduate. An ASU graduate. A Certified Child Life Specialist. A movie enthusiast. An artist. A dreamer. A hopeful romantic. As classy and sassy as ever. Still smiling, still laughing, and still sporting those Angel Eyes.
"Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse."
T.S. Eliot
Do I dare disturb the universe and say that finals weren't that bad this semester? I am exhausted, but I did well on all of my tests. That isn't normal. Could it be because for the first time I realized certain bricks of the testing center are carved with a crest and say "knowledge is power"? Could it be because I have had ice cream for three days in a row and polished off a bag of peanut butter M&Ms in a week? Could it be because I made going to the temple a priority and went with Meghan ten weeks in a row? I don't know. And honestly, I don't care if I disturb the universe. I definitely do dare! Thanks for reading, but I am going to watch a romantic movie and sleep now.
Everyone always says to not take Christ out of Christmas. Well, just because Easter doesn't conveniently have the word "Christ" in it, people often forget the meaning behind the holiday. Colorful eggs, baskets full of goodies, and the competitive hunt for treasures replace why we celebrate this wonderful day. Well, I don't have an Easter basket or yummy Easter candies to snack on (yet... I can't wait until I get home!), and I am thankful for that because I have been able to love and think about this remarkable day more fully. Although those colorful eggs are beautiful, there is a more beautiful meaning to today. Even though eating that candy is sweet, there is a much sweeter act to think about. Even though we hunt for those treasures, there is a much more valuable treasure Jesus Christ has given us.
Because of Him I have the best example to follow.
Because of Him I always have loving arms surrounding me.
Because of Him I can be with my family for eternity.
Because of Him I can be forgiven when I mess up.
Because of Him I know I can make it through my trials.
Because of Him I never have to walk alone.
Because of Him I can enjoy the beauty all around me.
Because of Him I too can live again.
Because of Him there are no true endings.
Because of Him I am truly happy.
Finals are here. I have already taken one. All my papers are finished, I have been trained for my internship, and only four tests stand in my way of going home. You would think this is a time to complain about those four tests, but let me put a spin on things. Plot twist! This week is awesome. Yesterday was my graduation luncheon. My favorite teacher, Dr. Erin Holmes was the speaker. I absolutely adore her. Yesterday was also Unforum. The name is dumb, but it was fantastic. The theme was "Explore Your Potential." Oddly perfect for my time here at BYU. Men's chorus karaoke, Vocal Point, and one last Whoosh for Cecil made me smile from ear to ear. How much fun! President Samuelson shared a line from a poem by Wadsworth. It goes, " The heights by great men reached and kept were not attained in sudden flight but, they while their companions slept, they were toiling upwards in the night." I thought that was applicable as we head into finals week. After my final class of the semester, it really hit me. College is coming to a close... It kind of makes me sad and scared, but I am so dang excited! I went home to take my first final and then... I went to a concert. Andy Grammer. Oh my. Love. That is all. Well, maybe not all. He sang one song that has a bad word in it. He stopped singing when it came to that word and let us fill it in. We are at BYU. We of course all yelled "freakin" in unison. He thought that was so great and amazingly funny. He said, "Now wait...you all just shouted 'freakin' in unison. That was awesome!" He loved it. I loved it. After the concert we may have gone to get ice cream and french fries. Today I had mixed feelings about going into work. I was tired from being up a little too late last night, but I also hate goodbyes. A lot. I said goodbye to the officers today. One I will see over the summer in the BYUSA office, and one I will have to still work with until I leave. I hope I stay in touch with the rest of them. I love them. This was the first year of my college career to not be in BYUSA. It was weird and hard at first, but the officers made it easier. I had so much fun with them. They made my job incredible, and I enjoyed it almost as much as I did BYUSA which I didn't think to be possible. Here's to a happy finals week everyone!
Let's be real. I could post all of Andy Grammer's songs on here. Fine By Me, Forever, Keep Your Head Up, Miss Me, Crazy Beautiful, and so many more!
I am sorry that so many of my posts lately have been spiritual, but really, I'm not sorry at all. You see, in this time of beauty with all of the plants that seemed so dead before starting to bloom once again, it is hard to not see the hand of my Heavenly Father in my life. Everything that was so brown and lifeless has all of the sudden sprung to life with brilliant colors. It is interesting that Heavenly Father chose this time of year for the Savior to be resurrected. He too, once dead rose with new life showing himself not only to his old friends but to the people in the Americas. It is beautiful and perfect.
Because finals are coming, life has been hectic. I did finish my last research paper though! It felt good. I wrote my last research paper of my undergrad career! And, later that night my roommates and I went to the creamery to celebrate. They had tin roof!! Tender mercies. I have also been working my tail off trying to get everything done for the three events we had this week. By Wednesday I was bumped, bruised, and my muscles cried in pain every time I moved. Stupid final survival kits. They help everyone except me survive finals. Thursday I left class a little early to go to our ward activity. It was at the Provo Recreation Center, and I will never turn down a chance to go swimming. After two hours of going down water slides, rock climbing, swimming in the lazy river, and soaking my sore muscles in the hot tub, I slowly walked away from the pool. So much fun. So worth missing part of class for.
Friday I made the best decision I have made in a long time. I went to the BYU Easter Conference. I didn't even know that was a thing before. The theme this year was Our Savior's Love. Before it even started, the piano player played I Know that My Redeemer Lives. Before it even started I could feel the spirit all around me. Lloyd Newell, the voice of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Music and the Spoken Word, was the first speaker of the night. The first question he asked was if we could really change, and he answered it with a resounding yes. We can change and walk in newness of life. Change comes through the Atonement of Christ. It takes us to places we could never imagine without it. The plan of salvation is our ultimate adventure in life, and in times we feel we can go no further, we must remember that our testimonies helped us conquer in heaven, and they can help us conquer now. He quoted Elder Maxwell saying, "Our perfect Father does not expect us to be perfect children yet. He had only one such child. Meanwhile, therefore, sometimes with smudges on our cheeks, dirt on our hands, and shoes untied, stammeringly but smilingly we present God with a dandelion--as if it were an orchid or a rose! If for now the dandelion is the best we have to offer, He receives it, knowing what we may later place on the altar. It is good to remember how young we are spiritually." I loved that. We all have weaknesses, but sometimes seeing our weaknesses just means we are moving closer to our Father in Heaven not farther away. The next speaker was Kelly Ogden. He taught things I had absolutely never thought of before. He said without the event of the resurrection there would be no resurrection faith. Also, Christ could have easily left the tomb on his own, but angels rolled the stone away. Why? He left his burial clothes in their place to prove no mortal man could have moved the body. Again, why? He did is so others could have a testimony that the tomb was empty, and He is risen. I had also never thought where he had been when he told Mary not to touch him because he had not ascended to his Father yet. He was preaching the gospel of his resurrection in the spirit world. He was being a missionary. Wow. In some of his final remarks, Brother Ogden said that even for Christ a crown of thorns comes before the crown of glory. Even for Christ... The final speaker was Sister Dalton. We all know how much I love her. She asked a question I ask myself all of the time. Why did the Savior go through the atonement? She was kind enough to answer it. He did it because of love. He did it so he would understand every little thing we go through. In our sparkly and spectacular world we can sometimes feel broken, but we can still feel the spirit and know He is always there to help. He says, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." In reality it is MY yoke that is easy and MY burden that is light because He is on the other side. We never walk alone. When trials come we must endure it well. We must "hold on thy way..." because "God shall be with you forever and ever." She said to take the scripture John 21:16-17 and enter our names. Megan, lovest thou me? Do you love me more than all of this? In October of 2012 Elder Holland spoke of this picking up after Christ asked this of Peter for the third time. "To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: “Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn’t it obvious then and isn’t it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me."We cannot go back to our old lives once our testimony has changed by the gospel of Christ. Our calling is to bless lives, to try to be like Him, to be loyal to Him. He will run to us, heal us, lift us up, and help us stand once again when we are on the ground feeling broken. I hope to all those feeling broken I can be like Christ and help them stand once again. Sister Dalton talked about the song I Stand All Amazed. She also spoke of the song that had brought the spirit in to me in the beginning, I Know that My Redeemer Lives. My testimony continues to grow and change, but I will always know that my Redeemer Lives because what comfort that sweet sentence gives.
Saturday came all of the sudden. What happened to my week? I threw my first ever bridal shower for dear Kaitlyn. It wasn't too shabby! I love her. I cannot wait for her wedding! That night I also had the Traditions Ball. Oh my. Getting all dressed up in a dress I have been saving for this special night made me happy. With my hair curled and makeup done to perfection I headed off. I am sad to say my prince charming didn't come sweep me off my feet at the ball. I stayed the working Cinderella even in my ballgown. By the end, I would have happily taken a tablecloth off of a table and slept underneath it. Being the true Cinderella I am, I would have also been happy sleeping by the fireplace. The ball was beautiful though, and it seemed to go well. I am just thankful it is over! Let's be real here. Wearing heels for that long... Bleh. More pictures of the ball will be up in the next couple of weeks. I promise.
In this Easter season, even for those of us with work or school, I hope we never forget our Savior. When we feel inadequate, He is teaching us how to allow Him to work through us. When we are full of sorrow or feeling broken I hope we always remember there is no sorrow heaven cannot heal. I hope we always remember to choose to have faith. I know that He lives, and I consistently stand all amazed at the love and grace He always offers me.
Conference was the blessing of all blessings for me. When you watch with a prayer in your heart, it is always answered even if it is not how you would expect. You would think 8 hours (10 for the men) of talks and hymns in two days seems a little extreme, but I almost wanted more. Elder Holland taught me what it takes to be a disciple of Christ, and told us to take heart because pure Christ-like love can change the world. Elder Rasband shared D&C 84:88 which is just a beautiful scripture that is one of my favorites. Elder Anderson taught me that challenges will come, but when I put my trust in my Heavenly Father those challenges will strengthen me. President Eyring made me cry. He reminded me that through the converts in my family, I am left with a priceless heritage of hope and by holding the gospel in my hands I also hold the happiness of more people than I can imagine. I hope I can leave the example of faith and hope that he mentioned. Elder Nelson told us that faith is the antidote for fear, and it is always safe to put our faith in Christ and let it show. Elder Scott simply told me that it may seem difficult to put my faith and trust in the Lord, but I must find a way. Elder Hales taught me that I want to be one in whom the Lord is well-pleased, and I want to be called a good and faithful servant. Elder Cook gave me more motivation to do temple work. President Uchtdorf taught that we can be grateful for our circumstances no matter what they are. There are no true endings only everlasting beginnings. Elder Stevens said that the gospel is not weight but wings. God accomplishes miracles one prayer at a time, one person at a time, and prayer doesn't change God. It changes me. Elder Stevenson said that if we seek His help and follow His directions, we cannot lose. We should run the race that is set before us with patience. Elder Bednar helped me realize that the Savior really does help us bear our burdens with ease because He perfectly knows and understands each one of us and what we are going through. President Monson said that opportunities to show our love may come unexpectedly, but if we act on them the recipient may remember them for a lifetime. President Packer reminded us to build our foundation on Christ, while Elder Walker told us we are standing on the shoulders of giants (those brave saints who have come before us). Elder Crowbridge taught that the heavens are not closed and we still have revelations given to us. Elder Teh told us that faith in Jesus Christ gives us hope that everything will work out eventually, and Elder Aidukaitis said that faith requires work. President Monson closed this conference by saying that Heavenly Father will come close to us, and He will go far to help us. He loves us. No matter if you are a member or not, I invite you to read or watch at least some of the conference talks. Pick one that sounds interesting. Come with one question, or a few. I know it will be answered. I am so thankful to have a prophet and apostles on the earth today, and I am thankful for all of the words that were shared this weekend. Because I am no longer afraid.
I have been somewhat irresponsible this week. I only have six more days of school, and even though the sun doesn't always shine my senioritis does. Sunday I spent time with friends all afternoon and evening even though I did not feel well. Monday I still wasn't feeling well but decided to drown my sorrows in a mint brownie before Janessa and I headed off to a crazy (not in a good way) FHE. Wednesday I was running around all day and instead of doing homework when I got home I went to a party for work. Sitting on a very small couch with Amanda and Brody watching a movie made me laugh. I need more moments like that. Thursday I didn't do homework again and even missed class to go on a date. Um... Yeah I did that. Yesterday I went to the temple before the work and left work just in time to go out with Janessa, come home and watch a movie, go on a failed hiking adventure, and finish our night with a few episodes of "I Dream of Jeanie." Today was full of four hours of uplifting, spiritual light from the General Authorities of the church. Somehow, even with all of the fun, I have still gotten things done. I have still gotten enough sleep, and I am not behind in any of my classes. School is important, especially in my last real semester, but having fun is important too.
Also, my boss is really mature and hides army men all over my desk. Every day I find a new one. It has become war.
Now, we all know that naturally I started this. He just continues on with it. So, this week while he was in a meeting I taught him a lesson and did this to all of the plants he has on his desk. He may have won the small battles, but I won the war.
