MUSIC

I always find it interesting how much music can effect things and people. In movies music is used to set the mood, music in church helps bring the spirit, and music seems to make choirs go faster and helps to past the time. Think of your favorite movie or a movie you watched recently. the first thing you think of is probably not music but next time you watch a movie pay attention to how the music effects the movie and then try to imagine how the movie would be different without it.

I remember one Sunday wen I was still in young women's their was a fire side at Bishop Lange's house and he was telling us how big an influence music has in our lives. He put a movie on and had some old rock playing and then asked us what we thought this movie was suppose to be about. Most people replied that it was probably about war or something along that train of thought. He restarted the movie and let it play with it's normal sound and the movie was one where Christ was healing the sick. After he turned it off he said that music influences more then we know and we have to be careful of what we listen to.

Music makes life more interesting and people use it to express themselves. Music can be healing, damaging, fun, emotional, inspiring, and much more. I once tried to imagine life without music and I couldn't and thought if there was no music life would be very depressing. Like living in a black and white world, without color it's hard to appreciate the beauty .

I'm not dead... Yet...

I
don't
really
have
anything
to
say
but
figured
I
should
say
something
so
here
it
is:
"I love the mountains,
I love the rolling hills,
I love the fireflies when all the lights are low... "

Stuff...Confidence...Institute

I was told by a friend that i need to post a new blog. I haven't done so for a while because I have no time, so I figured I'd take a break for studying to let you know I'm still breathing. Life has been really busy in between studying for finals, finals, and packing. There is just not enough time before Friday. Every week for the last 3 weeks I have had a concert, don't get me wrong I love concerts, I'm just glad they are over. I can't wait until Friday! Its the end off the semester and I'll be back in T-town! Not that I'm excited or anything...

I have a jury tomorrow and my private lessons instructor told me that I'll do fine, all I have to do is look confidant. Looking confident is a lot harder then it sounds. You have to stand a certain way and give people the impression that you know that you are amazing or something like that. I'm terrible at being confident. As soon as I get up in front of a group to talk, debate, or preform I get so nervous I can't think. If I have to talk I stutter and combined words in new and interesting ways, debate I forget my issues what everything I wanted to say, preforming I get really nervous, I can't get deep enough breaths and before I even start I think of how badly I'm going to mess up. Confidence is the one thing that I wish I had, but it is the one thing that seems to be too far out of reach.

So, this semester I graduated Institute! I'm so excited! I got a diploma and a plaque. The institute director asked me if I was planning on continuing with institute and said that many people stop going once they graduate. I think there is too much I don't know and if I stopped going just because I graduated I would stop growing and learning in that atmosphere. Institute is amazing and I really enjoy it, I hope you do too!

Well, I don't know what else to say... Be confident in all that you do. If you are going to make a mistake make sure everyone knows it was you! Institute is amazing, make sure you take advantage of it. If you want to stay sane DO NOT take 24 credits in one semester!

Ackward Moments...

Don't you just love those moments you have where you feel like you are going to die of shame or can't get out of there fast enough? I can think of two of mine that really stick out right now, but that's because one just happened. The other one happened when I was 12 but it was just as bad.

It was my first year at girls' camp and I was so excited! Every morning we would have a flag ceremony and then bless the food. During the first flag ceremony a girl was giving a prayer and she was really quiet and I had a hard time hearing her. I thought she had said amen so I said "Amen" with a lot of enthusiasm and volume. The problem was the prayer wasn't over yet. I was sitting next to Amanda and she tried not too laugh and by the end of the prayer my eyes were filled with tears from trying to suppress my laughter. After the prayer a Lady from another ward came up to me, put her arm around and said "It's okay, we all make mistakes. I thought she said amen too."

My RA is amazing! she always leaves her room unlocked and told me to feel free to borrow a movie anytime. My RA left this weekend and was due back tomorrow mourning at 9am, so me and a friend decided to borrow the original Freaky Friday. Well it was about 1:25am when we finished watching movies so I went to put it back into her room.I opened her door and saw her computer on and thought that was weird but I turned on the light and walked in. I hear "Hi Beth." and jump and said "I'm so sorry didn't think you were going to be back until tomorrow. I didn't wake you up did I?" I go on apologizing for the next few minuets and told her that I felt really stupid. she told me she just got back and turned off her light and said not to worry about it.

I feel incredibly stupid right now but I figured it was a good thing to write about. Well, at least it would be entertaining and provide you with a nice little chuckle. Don't you just love it when things like this happens? It gives you the perfect chance to laugh at yourself.

The Miracle of Forgiveness

I'm taking the Presidents of the Church institute class and this week we were talked Spencer W. Kimball. While talking about his accomplishments we started to talk about "The Miracle of Forgiveness" and the four steps of forgiveness.

1. Stop/Recognition - Stop what we are doing wrong but in order to do that we have to realize that we are doing something wrong.

2. Confess - We have to tell the person we've wrong and all those involved.

3. Restitution - We need to correct what we've did wrong.

4. Forgiveness - We need to forgive the wrong that was done to us and forget it. We must forgive ourselves and not dwell on what we've done, forget.

Elder Cottle asked everyone what they thought was the hardest step and everyone decided on confessing and forgiveness. I think it depends a lot on the situation and where we are in life. I have found each step to be difficult in a different situations and different times of my life. At times it's hard to realize what we are doing as wrong and even then some times we rationalize why it's not that bad. Stopping can seem near impossible because it is a habit and we do it without thinking about it. After we have realized and stopped it, it is time to confess. We know it's bad enough that we have done whatever it is we have done, but now we have to tell person(s) that we've wronged whether or not their were aware of it. This one is difficult because we don't want people to think badly of us and if we tell them it might lower the respect they have of us. Somethings we do may seem impossible to correct and can become overwhelming. Sometimes the hurt is deep and we don't want to let go and give the person another chance and find ourselves not wanting to forgive them. We think we forgave them but still hold it against them, forgiven but not forgotten. Sometimes we forget to forgive ourselves and let every action be dictated by our guilt.

Forgiveness can become complicated if you don't go through the process and even then it can be hard. Without forgiveness everyone would be in trouble so do yourself a favor, use it and don't hold any grudges. Forgiveness is the key.

Playing in the Rain...

When was the last time you walked, played, sang, or even stop to enjoy the rain?

For me, it was today! A couple friends and I went for a walk after dinner and it just happened to be raining. We walked for about half an hour, then we played in it, and then we stood around talking and soaking up the rain.

Rain is such an amazing thing, it seems to clean and refresh everything in it. It can destroy things if you get too much, if you don't get enough it can be devastating, but if you get the right amount it is perfect.

Next time it rains....

Go play in the rain!

Running For Class Senator

So, I get in these random moods where I decide that I've become too comfortable and have to do something way out of my comfort zone.

Last time this happened I decided to go to Virginia for school...

J/K Just pulling your leg.

The last time it happened I decided to audition for SVU's American Idol. This time it's running for class Senator. I've NEVER done anything like this before and have no idea why I make myself come out of my bubble. I think I really like my bubble.

Anyway, I put up a bunch of posters around the school with random pictures on them ( there is a fro pic, a flat hair pic, and a pic where it looks like I'm ready for battle). Thanks to a Friend, who has a clever way with words, I also have lollie pops to give out that say "I'm sucking up to you! Vote" Lola "as Sophomore Senator!" I'm really no good at this campaigning thing and I half hope I lose because the people running against me would do soo much better. The other half of me is hoping I win because it would be fun to help plan activities and being apart of something like this. I'm welcoming any ideas campaigning. I've run out.