"Bummers"

"Healin' all them Bummers.

WARNING: DO NOT READ OR YOU WILL BE KILLED AT 12:00 a.m. toni-

KIDDING!!! I just needed your attention. Now that I have it....

I have a question.... Have you ever been at an all time high, floating on cloud nine when boom! You're SHUT DOWN??! I do. I call those "Bummers"

It happens to me when I'm dipping Oreos in milk and part of the cookie breaks off and sinks to the bottom... or when I go to check my email or Facebook and I have no notifications.... Or when I go to watch my recorded T.V. shows and someone recorded "Teen Mom" over it... OR  When I get so stoked to hangout with my friends.. then I realize I don't have any.

Those are all "Bummers" 
       The world is full of em. Some Bummers are big, and effect your whole life. Some a tiny and only effect about two seconds of your day. But regardless of the size we all have that same sinking feeling when it (what ever it may be) happens. I usually end up making a face like this---> ._.    And hating life for a few short seconds."

That was from Regan's blog.
But its how I feel right now. I've got myself a Bummer right now. (It is slowly disappearing as I say the word "bummer" over and over again...its a silly word:)

The beginning of this past week was so utterly awful it was one of the biggest Bummers I have ever experienced. Flying high, everything is awesome and then some jerk face shoots a hole in your wings. Man, I hate that jerk face.

Anyway...that Bummer ended on Tuesday night and WHOOOHOOOOOWHWOWHOOO I was flying high again, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday...then came Saturday, and while we did win our first lacrosse game, I still felt someone shoot a hole in my wing. And I fell...into a big Bummer....man Bummers are the worst!

Anyway at least General Conference is next week. That solves even the worst of the Bummers :)

General Conference 1985 & 1986

October 1985
Self-Mastery

April 1985
Look for the Beautiful

(This one is really short and sweet. It also has been used in recent conferences I think, so you might remember it)

October 1986
"Joy Cometh in the Morning"

This one is soooooooooooo stinkin good! Please listen/read/watch it!!!!!

April 1986
An Apostle's Witness of the Resurrection

So this time next week we will be listening to the October 2012 General Conference. I urge you to look through old ones or old notes you took and prepare. Fast and pray in preparation for the words God will have you receive.  Prepare yourself spiritually for the messages that may be designed for you. I don't know about all of you, but I couldn't be more excited. I need some direction, guidance, counsel in my life.

HAPPY SABBATH!

God Works in Mysterious Ways Part 2

As if the random people who stopped and prayed for me weren't enough...

Shortly after I posted the previous post, I had three more experiences throughout the day in which God put people in my path to lift my spirits.

The first of the three was an email from my dad. This email was a forwarded email he had received from a friend.  It detailed a story this man had with a homeless man outside a shopping mall. This man talked with the homeless beggar, they read scripture and discussed their lives and God. This beggar kept telling my dads friend how much he loved him and how he never got to have these conversations with anyone. It was such a touching story. It surely helped me get through the day.

After I had read that email I was doing homework when my phone rang. It was my sister. My sister, who I haven't talked to in nearly 2 months. I answered and she said the she had given my little niece an old cell phone and my adorable little niece had been walking around the house the past few days pretending like she was talking to aunt Kylee. At this I began to cry again. God prompted her to call me. She heeded the prompting and because of it, we had a wonderful conversation and my burden was lightened.

During practice another of my sisters, Regan, texted me. I called her between practice and football. I told her what was happening and we had a good conversation as well. She told me I was doing so well seeing God's hand in my struggles and she had made the mistake of ignoring Him during her similar time. Family is the greatest. God is the greatest.

I am so thankful to God for sending me all these angels to help me endure. Again, He knows exactly what we need. He knows how he can help us endure. He is the best thing for us.

God Works in Mysterious Ways

That my dear readers is truth.

The past 23 hours have been filled with more sadness and emptiness than I can ever remember. BUT despite the awfulness that has ensued in those 22 hours I have felt more peace than I can ever remember feeling. I have literally felt His arms around me and His eyes on me, watching me to make sure I am OK.

What the awfulness is, is beside the point. The point is that when I woke up this morning and immediately burst into tears because of the sadness in my heart and soul, God knew what would give me the strength to keep going.

He is great. He really is.

After I had composed myself and felt strong enough to go to class, I headed out. As I was walking towards my first class, I saw a man walking towards me. This guy, wearing a navy blue shirt, was a large black man. As I glanced toward him he looked like he wanted to say something so I mustered all the strength, in my weak-from-crying-body, to lift my head. He approached me, stuck out his hand and said "Good morning! How can we pray today?"

I was sort of confused and must have looked it so he continued, "How can we pray to God for you today?"

God is good. He is. He knows. Better than anyone.

So after this man asked how he can pray for me, a whole new flood of tears came. It was the question I needed to be asked. Even if by someone I had never met. This stranger pulled me into a huge bear hug and held me while I cried. He proceeded to pray to God and although I could not hear the words I felt the answer. He then pulled me over to a curb where we sat and I told him how he could pray for me today.

He was telling me that God loves me when a random student walked past and this man held his hand out and she shook it. He then asked if she would pray with us for me. She immediately said "Of course!" and took our hands in hers and we three prayed for me. We prayed for the comfort I needed in this extremely difficult time for me.

I could not have felt any clearer, that God was with me and supporting me. He was telling me that this is His plan for me. He showed me, through these complete strangers, that He is aware of my every need. I walked away from that situation with a smile on my face and a prayer of gratitude and amazement in my heart.

He is real. He knows how terrible life's twists and turns can be. In order to be our best we need to be broken and rebuilt over and over again. He can rebuild us into our perfect selves. He knows how to reach out to us, maybe through two complete strangers who put a smile on your face in times of sadness.

God works in mysterious ways.
How thankful I am for this experience.

General Conference 1983 & 1984

October 1983
Your Sorrow Shall be Turned to Joy

April 1983
Valiance in the Drama of Life

October 1984
Learning Our Father's Will

April 1984
Count Your Blessings

Music

I'm taking this idea from Linds's blog.

If y'all are too lazy to click on her link and read her version, here's what she says:

"I've discovered songs and music have the ability to preserve memories. Well I guess I didn't discover it. I'm pretty sure most people would know what I'm talking about.
 
You put your ipod on shuffle and a song comes on that you haven't heard in forever then alla sudden you're back snowboarding, or on a car ride, or remembering something that happened the moment you were listening to that song."

Here is where I go when I hear these songs or artists:

Skinny Love - Birdy
I am sitting in my dorm room in Orr Hall Freshman year of college watching Vampire Diaries. It is the episode where Jenna dies. I immediately looked the song up and got it. Both versions I think. 

Low - Flo rida
It was basketball sophomore year. It was on our warm up. I remember every home game running lay up lines to this song....It was our jam

Just Dance - Lady Gaga
WOW. This one is a good one. So it had been our song all season long sophomore year soccer. (Blasting it during our team "outings", playing it repeatedly in st george, etc) Then during our stretching circle before the State Championship game it came on. WHAT A GOOD OMEN! Then we won 3A State in PK's. Good day. I think I will always love this song.  

Sleeping with the Lights on - Michael Henry & Justin Robinett
There I am in my lovely car Cheredith listening to the CD Allen gave me. I remember...I had cried as I left his neighborhood and as I got on I-80 to head home for the summer. I had just gotten a handle on myself when this song came on and I lost it all over again. Good times, good times...

Somebody That I Used to Know - Walk Off the Earth - Five Guys and a Guitar Version
HAHA Oh gosh. This one. I hear it and I am back in Allen and Pace's apartment. Allen probably has this one on his most viewed. He asks "Have you seen it!?' and I reply no. So then we watched it probably 9 times. Then some of our other friends came over and we watched it another 15 or so times.

Single Ladies - Beyonce
I am in the Brown's CRV with Madeleine and Elliot. We are on our way to early morning seminary sophomore year. It was at the time of winter/spring that you can feel your world changing. It's beginning to slowly warm up. You are caring less and less about school. It's that spring fever feeling I guess. 

Snow Patrol
It was sub for santa. One family had Snow Patrol CD on the list. Well, I was in charge of that. So I think I bought the CD off iTunes and burned it, made my own awesome label and everything. Now when I hear them, I think of that years sub for santa with the family all at the g-parents.