Oaks

I just stood a few feet from an apostle of the Lord. I was in the same room as him, just for a brief Moment. Elder Dallin H. Oaks is speaking today at the President's Meeting at BYU, and My boss is a department head, and she needed her computer. And I got to bring it up to her. That man is amazing. The spirit that emanates from all of the Lord's apostles is almost tangible. I stayed outside the door listening for a little bit, I couldn't for long because I had to get back to work. But I heard him speaking in an intimate and personal setting. Not to me. And all I got from what he was saying is that we need to uphold the Constitution, to live up to the standards the Founding Fathers set and had for this nation. But that's enough. He speaks for the Lord. Wow. So amazing. I'm so blessed to be in this place where apostles come regularly, to have the opportunity to see and hear them so regularly. A few weeks ago, I went to the Stake Conference for the stake Matt's cousins are in. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke. So strong and wonderful. I wasn't nearly as close to him-in fact almost a whole building's length. But the power of the Lord that he has with him Filled and enveloped that room. Two weeks ago, I got to watch General Conference. I heard many of the Lord's chosen apostles speak with power and goodness to fill my heart with gladness and my mind with inspiration. Last Sunday, at my own Stake Conference, Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke in both sessions I was able to go to. He spoke about marriage, and life, and so much goodness. Nobody with an open heart and mind, being in the presence of these men, can deny that they speak with the power of God. They have that power in their souls, in their hearts, in their eyes. I'm so grateful for them, and for the opportunity that I have right now to be so often in their presence. It makes me even more excited to obey the commandments and keep my covenants and learn all that I can so that I can feel that same wonderful power from it's source-the Savior. When He comes again, I want to be ready. I want to be as perfect as I can be. I'm not there yet. I don't know nearly enough. But hopefully, right now, I'm closer than I was last year, or last month, or last week. I know that every day I work towards that goal, I get a little closer, just through having that desire. The days I don't work towards it, just standing still, is moving backwards. Because the Gospel is moving forward, and if I don't move forward with it every moment of every day, I'll be left in the dust. Every day brings us closer to the day when Christ will return to reign on the Earth, and with that every day, I need to bring myself closer to Him.I also had the amazing experience this semester of being in a "Teachings of Isaiah" Course. It has made the urgency in my mind sprout and grow, and the desire to become what Christ would have me be. All of my classes this semester have been so inspiring, and made me want to become something more than what I am, even more than what my own goals for myself have been.Speaking of Oaks. It's easy for me to see how people can decide to go with Paganistic religions. Because in Nature is the place it is easiest to feel God's presence. The problem is differentiating between God's presence in nature and Nature gods.

I'm so excited fo

r spring to finally be here. It's come and gone and come and gone, every week brings at least one more f

rost, but as soon as the frost is gone, most days, the world is beautiful and growing and warm and lovely. But it's always temporary. I can't wait. I love beauty and warmth, and it's starting to come.

Life is good.

The Lavender of Twilight

Sometimes you get the rare opportunity to view a true marvel. There are a few moments in twilight, between shades of blue, when the sky is pure lavender, framing the bare trees. The branches reach up, standing tall, but waiting until they can reach the sky. It is part of what makes winter beautiful. In those moments, there is no avoiding looking up, seeing the marvel that is the heavens, and searching deep within your soul. Are you standing tall, reaching, waiting, until you can be, as the trees, close to Heaven, framed perfectly by it? Made more beautiful than you ever could have known? In those moments, inner searching and reflection come together to form something intangible, unwritable. If I could record the thoughts of my heart as I walk in the twilight, or in the still of the morning, the poetry would be unmistakable. There would be no comparison to the art, because it would be a soul. Created by the greatest master of them all. God. He is the Master of Creation, of Art, of Beauty. His is the truest form of Beauty. But if the thoughts and feelings of my innermost soul could be written in a few words, they would cease in their sacred nature.
But, sadly, it is only a moment. The moment passes. The reflection comes to an end, as I’m faced once again with traffic, waiting, stop and go. Life sometimes moves a little too fast. If only there were a way to just stay out of life, away from all of the wordliness and hardship. Away from other people who are too busy to stop and look at the sky. If they could just learn. Even to take a moment to still your racing heart and mind is to take a brief look through God’s eyes. To see the Beauty that He made and remakes every day, every morning, every night. To see the clouds in the sky, the branches of the trees, the spectrum of colors the sky goes through in a matter of minutes. Keep that moment from passing.

What is it about twilight that so haunts us and intrigues us, compelling us to write about it, draw it, paint it, speak of it with such awe? It is the time of greatest mystery, cloaked in near darkness, the time when day transforms to night.

A few different things

Last night, my little sister had her first kiss. She's giddy about it. I love it. My other little sister is smarter than I ever will be, but she's ignoring her homework to the point that she's failing at midterms, her first year in high school. I don't know how she's living with herself right now. She says she'll get it in gear though, so I believe her. She's a good girl, just gotta figure out what has to come first. I should talk. Look at me, blogging when I should be researching, writing papers, and of course reading textbooks. Well. It'll happen. I'll get it done. I haven't written in my journal for forever. Like, since before I got married. PS, I got married 3 weeks ago. Married Life is pretty awesome. I'm thrilled that I get to spend each day and night with such a handsome and wonderful man. I have a really good life. :) I have an awesome job, that I like, with a really good boss. I'm not as healthy as I should be, but that can change. I'm working on that. Making good goals and stuff. I live 20 minutes walk away from school, across the street from church, across the street from the temple, and close to almost all of my closest friends. Life is going to have to work hard to get much better. (especially since the hiccups I've had the whole time I've been writing this post-and longer- are finally gone!) And That, my friends, is my story on this lovely Tuesday evening. Jelly-O