Pay attention!

Today's devotional was for me.  It's interesting how God relays information to me.  

One semester, I was not reading my scriptures daily like I should.  Well every devotional, talk in church, sunday school lesson was on reading your scriptures daily. 

OK! I get it. 

It's just interesting that this speaker prepared months in advance and the information delivered is relevant to me Right now. 

 Incredible.    

Notes from devotional:

• Keep eyes on the future, not the past
• Never let yesterday use up today
• Quietly forgiving and moving on, is a gift to yourself
• We all mistakes, that is why there is repentance (cast away grudges and move forward)
• Always acknowledge the Lord.
• Let go of mistakes made by others

36 more days til the end of the semester.  I am excited to go home and be with my family and soak up the sun in California (I love that place).  I am excited for Spring, there will be lots of new changes.  It's going to be an adventure. :)



~Linz

Challenges

Today's theme in church seemed to be on the topic of trials.  It was really inspirational, cause let me tell you...this semester has definitely been a challenge on so many levels.  

Our home teachers shared a quote today-

"We need challenges in our life to grow."

Although the semester has been quite a challenge, I think it was because I needed to grow.  
I needed a little push.  Although it's hard, I can see the good coming out of it.  

I am making new friendships, that I might not have, otherwise.  

I am relying more on the Lord.  

Getting back in the habit of daily scripture study.  

Church is much more meaningful, I am paying attention and getting so much more out of it.  

Its quite interesting to look and reflect and see that there are good things happening as well.   

I think, I was just...stuck in a rut, and this was what I needed to get out: to learn, to grow, to progress, to experience. 
Heavenly Father sure has an interesting way of doing things, but all I can do is trust. 
Oh the joys of life.  Party on!
 

~Linz

waiting

To whom it may concern~
I am not going to fight for your attention. 
Whether it be a friendship or relationship, it makes no difference. 
So if you want me, I'll be quietly waiting in the background. 
That's just who I am. :)

"it`s not up to me anymore
if you want me in your life
you`ll find a way to put me there."

~Linz

Disclaimer

I often times find it difficult to express my thoughts in writing.  So, if my posts seem like ramblings...they may be.  But I think this blog, may be more for me, than you.

Sometimes, you just need to get your thoughts out there, regardless of who sees them.  

Have a great day!

~Linz

Music

It's amazing what the power of music can do.  Music can pierce your soul with its tender words, it can make you want to get up on a table and dance, it can make you want to cry.  Music has a powerful influence, it can manipulate your feelings and thoughts.  It feeds your emotions. 

Music can shape the type of person you are as well, its quite powerful.  

 It always amazes me when I hear a song and it applies to what I am going through at that moment.  It makes you feel...not so alone, like someone really does understand.  Music has a healing power to it. 

This music video was played in sunday school, it was so uplifting.  I love the picture where Christ is holding the girl, its so comforting to know Christ is always there. 

The lyrics of a song can be uplifting and help you get through your day.  There are songs for everything: heartache, death, love, friendship... basically anything.  Music frees the soul.  Music is so prevalent in our lives, it's everywhere.  I guess, all I can say is, I am thankful for music.  I am thankful for the artists that create it. 

"Music is constant:

it's the one thing we can rely on to always be there.   There are so many words and cliches to describe what music means to a person.  But in the end, they all lead to one universal truth: Life is nothing without music. "

~Linz

Blessings in disguise

I am so grateful for the people in my life that make life bearable.  

Today started off terrible and ended Great.  Sometimes, I can't believe how lucky I am.  God really does love me, he truly does care about me.  He really does hear my prayers.  Life has been rough lately.  17 credits, graduation is down the road but coming up fast.  (That means finding internships, realizing you are becoming a grownup, and finding a job and and....)  Dealing with problems, trying to figure out life, and more.  It can add up fast.  

I am so thankful for:

• Friends that ask if your ok and you say, "no not really", and they reply with, "I'm coming to get you" and then take you out for ice cream.
• Words of inspiration given, that truly gave me a unique perspective.  
• Valentine's balloons.  
• Phone calls with mom.  I'm so glad she is there for me, I am glad for her listening and sometimes giving her advice and always giving me her support. 
• FHE brothers.  Being single on valentine's day has it perks, let me tell you.  Being kissed 6 times by two different guys...How could a girl get so lucky? Oh wait...lets make that 7...3 different guys. 
• I am thankful for the package mom sent a week ago.  I passed out valentines to others and was able to focus on others and not myself.  I believe service be it small or big really helps, when your feeling down. 
• Valen shared this video with me at 2 am.  All I can say, is perfect.  I love songs that just...describe your life. 

 

Friendship

I'm reading this book for a class. I actually really like it. There is this part, that made me stop and think about my life and the friendships in it. "Interestingly enough, the two men to whom Lincoln became the closest were also the two who had originally thought the worst of him." Often times, I prejudge someone I meet, and often times they become my closest friends. Edwin M. Stanton insulted Lincoln on multiple occasions and was very negative toward Lincoln. Lincoln knew of Stanton's abilities and knew that he was very competent. Lincoln put his feelings aside and appointed Stanton as the secretary of war. After working together for a while, they both came to understand, respect, and admire each other. The two men became very close. Sometimes we just have to put our pre-conceived notions aside, let them go. Otherwise, you won't get to know someone who could be a great friend.

I thought about the friendships in my life, that didn't end so well. Was there anything that I could have done different? I have pondered that question often. In the end, sometimes it doesn't matter how hard you try, the other person doesn't want to put in the effort.

I often revert back to thinking about a certain line in my blessing.
"Surely have friends and all, but be careful." Was that friendship not supposed to happen, and it did? Who knows...?

I think some of the best friendships are ones that require no effort. It doesn't feel like you have to try. It doesn't feel like work. It's just...natural. Once someone makes me laugh its like insta-friends. I thrive off laughter and humor. A friend is there to make your hard day a little easier. To listen, sometimes give advice, to just...be there. A friend makes secret code words with you. A friend doesn't keep a tally of who did what for who.

The past few semesters have taught me that communication is huge in friendships, any relationship really. I think often we sometimes are not quick to forgive our friends, because what they did hurt. "Ever notice that the people who hurt you the most are the ones you tend to love more."

I had been thinking about a certain friend. We hadn't talked in three months. Things kinda ended in an awkward, dramatic mess. Well the other night they sent a message and reached out. My heart melted. It made my night. Once you find a good friend, it's really hard to let go. And lets be honest, you can never have too many friends.

"Maybe some people just aren't meant to stay in our lives forever, maybe some people are just passing through. Some people just come through our lives to bring us something, a lesson we need to learn, and that's why they are there."

I have had great friends over the years.  They have taught me so much.  They brighten my day and for that I am thankful. 


~Linz

Things to do before...

A friend on facebook posted the following list...I love it!

10 Things All Single People Must Do

By: Amy Spencer

1. Travel Alone
Whether you're trying to find your way through the Paris Metro or the London Underground, haggling over a painting in Mexico or choosing where to bed down in the Badlands, traveling by yourself builds a confidence you simply can't get any other way. In an unfamiliar place, you have to make decisions by yourself, for yourself every day, which will build a self-reliance you'll always treasure-even when you become part of a twosome.

2. Wallow in the Ache of a Broken Heart
Oh, the pain. The agony. The pints of Ben & Jerry's in front of the cable TV. Yep, getting dumped is beyond awful, but guess what? It's the only way that you'll develop the empathy you'll need to be a better partner in a relationship. Because if you're sensitive to the grief someone else has caused you, you're less likely to do the same to anyone else. So, consider this painful milestone a lesson in karma that'll serve you well as you travel through your dating days.

3. Spend a Weekend With a Married Couple Your Age
On lonely nights, it's common for single folk to envision marriage as a cozy scene from a J. Crew catalog. But spend 48 hours with a real couple and you'll learn that in between the snuggling and pet names comes growling, bickering, silent treatments and maybe even a slammed door or two before they ultimately compromise. It will show you what married life is like, warts and all, so you won't over-idealize the two-becomes-one phenomenon again.

4. Don't Come Home All Night
That's right, wild thing. Crash on a friend's couch, take your friends up on that offer of a last-minute trip… Once you have a mate, you can't just take off on your own without explanation. And, truthfully, you won't want to. So if you don't have someone you have to call and check in with every few hours, take this opportunity to check out!

5. Stand Up for a Cause You Care About
Whether you volunteer to help register voters for the next election (why not start early?) or convince your neighborhood or apartment complex to start recycling, get fired up over an issue while you have the time to devote to it. It will remind you that while, yes, finding your soul mate is pretty darn important, there are other issues at stake in the world that could use your help. And besides, the big-heartedness you'll be cultivating is very attractive.

6. Have a Real Adventure
Learn to fly a plane, surf some big waves, or start your own business. Give yourself a high by doing something just for you, just for the experience-without having someone at home worrying about you or nagging you not to. Oh, and one more gift with purchase: Think about how much fun you'll have telling your next date about your daring experience.

7. Learn How to Take Care of Yourself
Being solo shouldn't keep you from cooking for yourself, so learn how to make an impressive meal for one (even if it's mac and cheese with your own three-cheese spin). While you're at it, learn how to back up your computer hard drive and sew on replacement buttons. You'll feel strong and self-sufficient-and you'll be well armed with skills to share when you are in a relationship.

8. Buy Something Hugely Impractical Just Because You Love It
Once you're in a relationship, you'll start thinking about your partner before you purchase pricey items-not just "Will he or she hate it?" but "Is this where I want to be putting my money if we're saving for a wedding?" The single life means a single bank account and an excuse to blow a wad of cash without (some of the) guilt. So, make yourself happy and buy something you crave, whether it's an expensive vintage movie poster or a macked-out mountain bike.

9. Develop a Hobby
Learn to woodwork, play acoustic guitar, speak French, DJ on turntables, or make digital short films for fun. Of course you can (and should) still have hobbies when you're dating someone, but your solo time is prime time to devote yourself to something that makes life more interesting for you-and makes you more interesting to others.

10. Be Completely, Utterly, Wholly Single for at Least Three Months
Hop-scotching from one relationship to the next can do you a disservice. Why? Because you're never more ripe for self-reflection than when you're on your own-and the more you know yourself, the more likely you are to find someone who's right for the real you.

Any more you would add?

~Linz

College

College is an interesting time. Much better then high school, might I add. I believe college provides more growth and opportunity than any other time throughout life. College provides learning experiences in dealing with people and preparing oneself for marriage, jobs, and other experiences.
I feel while at college, I have learned more about people and social situations, than actual school knowledge.

I am so thankful, that I am at a church school, where the standards are most like mine. My roommates and I would talk about this and how thankful we were for the positive atmosphere, BYU-Idaho provides. I don't have to worry about my roommates drinking, smoking, or doing immoral acts in my apartment. The standards up here are just higher than other schools, and for that I am thankful.

I am grateful for the friendships I have made and what those individuals taught me. It is always an adventure meeting new people and wondering how they will change your life. I was talking with a friend and they mentioned how interesting it is that semesters are never the same. I couldn't have agreed more. Even living with the same people, semesters are never the same as the last one.
I am so thankful for pictures, they capture snapshots of time,
that might never happen again. They remind me of fun times,
memories shared, and great moments.

“Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.”-Dr. Seuss

College has definitely been a growing experience and a learning experience, for that I am grateful. It's not always a walk in the park, there are major rough patches, but thats life.

"It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."-E.E. Cummings

~Linz

Gospel

Can I just say, I am so thankful that I am a member of The Church Of Jesus Christ.

This gospel is quite amazing. When I am having a bad day or a trial of some sort, the Lord never ceases to amaze me. He sends little tender mercies my way.
Living in the moment its quite emotional sometimes. But, in the end everything always works out. Sometimes, it is hard to look down the road into the future, because that is not now. It is not what you are dealing with. Having eternal perspective is key. I am so thankful I have this knowledge and light in my life.
I'm not sure how people without the gospel in their life, get by.

Tender Mercy # 1. People just being there and caring and willing to help me.
Tender Mercy #2. My mom. Always willing to listen.
Tender Mercy# 3. Blessings.
Tender Mercy #4.Doctrine & Covenants 121-

7 My son (daughter), peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes. 9 Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Simply Amazing.