A look into the Pardee family

I just have to document some of the best memories from the past couple weeks.

1. Emily singing rudolph the red nosed reindeer in the car and then randomly gasping and saying "Santa's DEAD??"

2. Listening to Scott and Danee downstairs arguing and laughing at the same time. (Yeah I can hear you)

3. Meadow and Violet's sexy and I know it dancing

4. Eating way too much

5. The Blazers game! Oh yeah!

6. Meeting Jaynah. Good choice Justin

7. Katie telling me she had 20 thousand dollars in her sleep.

8. Stealing cute clothes from both of my sisters

9. Pickle ball, running, biking and basketball with Dad.

10. Just dance.

11. Umm.... Kirby airride.... Oh yeah baby!

12. Getting to spend time with Michelle!

13. Seeing old friends

14. Being able to listen to beautiful music by Katie

15. Steve biting Dad every time he got a chance

16. A dog named Steve. Yep.

17. Acting like we are still kids waiting for Santa (farting noises till midnight and all)

18. Singing carols with grandpa

19. Finding out from a forwarded email that grandma and I both had alzheimer's.

20.Meadow pouring half the ranch bottle on her salad.

21. Mom taking her precious time to have a lengthy heart to heart

 Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

I can't believe it is almost over. Love you all so much!

Time out

I have a tendency to be a bit of a perfectionist, and it is usually about different things. This week I have been obsessed with spending my time in the best way possible and that is to spend it with my family. I couldn't figure out why I was getting stressed out and was not feeling the spirit as much. I thought that I should be feeling it more.

I was reading a book just now by Brent L Top. He was talking about the importance of taking time to meditate. He said that when we constantly push ourselves mercilessly, we often feel guilty for taking time for ourselves. However, when we take more time for meditation we are doing something spiritually significant. We are not being lazy or wasteful with our time. We are sitting down with God and pondering who we are, what we can do and how we can improve.

Dieter F Uchtdorf said:
" It may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves, but we do. Some people can’t get along with themselves. They criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves. May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God’s creations, ponder the truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you—as His precious daughter or son with divine potential."

I am going to try to spend a little more time meditating and refocusing my life in order to have the spirit in my life more.

The ultimate finals pep-talk

Rather than write a super inspiring blog post, I think i will leave it to the experts in positive thinking. 

And here are some that aren't super inspirational but nevertheless must be included in this blog post...

And now you are feeling better right???

Lessons from Kronk

Sometimes making decisions is like this. When we don't know what to do, and we want to do the right thing so badly, Satan comes in and tells us the most insane reasons to believe the lies he tells us. 

First he tells us that what he desires from us will be much better, and then when we question, he says, well... "look what I can do"

I am embarrassed to admit how many times I see him do a one-armed handstand(figuratively of course) and think, "Yep, that must be right."

How do we know what voice to listen to? It can be so confusing when we have so many voices around us and in our heads telling us many different things to do.

This video will help.

Remember that there is only one voice we need to be tuned into. Learn to recognize it and tune your life to hear it. "Filter out the static generated by Satan."

Its a good day when...

....you get the good headphones in in the media lab at the Library. 

Yes, I am talking about the ones that feel like little pillows on your ears and have padding--yes, padding--on the part that goes over your head. 

It is simply incredible. 

AND, I was informed, as the girl at the counter checked them out to me, that they are the ONLY pair in the lab. 

 What a blessing.

The good in the world

I am grateful today that there is so much good in the world. We just have to open our eyes to the positive. We can easily find the bad, just watch the news. But, what if we were constantly looking for the good.

This is where I found the good in the world today. In the form of a flash mob. Pay attention to the light these people brought to those who witnessed it. For some, this may have been a miracle in their lives. I am grateful for good people, and good moments like this one.

"Tangled" in Good Fortune

Satan knows exactly what to say to us to make us believe the lies that he tells us. He wants us to believe that we are not worth anything. He tells us that we will never amount to anything, and that everything we do is a failure. I know he was telling me this yesterday.

Last night, I had feelings of failure torment me. I knew that I had done good things for people all week, and that I would be blessed for it. I knew that even though I hadn't done everything perfect in the last four weeks since I have been teaching a first grade class, I had made a difference. And yet, I felt overwhelmed with the amount of homework I had and the things that I hadn't done and should have.

In other words, Satan would have me focus on my imperfections rather than the good things I have done. I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to watch this movie Tangled. I started comparing Gothel to Satan. She tells Rapunzel that she knows best in the song Mother Knows Best. She deceives her, much like Satan does, into thinking, that she should fear the world. She tells her that she will never be able to leave the tower (which I compare to any kind of sin or imperfection we are trying to overcome) that is keeping her captive. She insults her telling her she is "sloppy, under-dressed, immature, clumsy," but makes it sound like it is for her own good. She tells her that she will never make it in the world, so she might as well settle with being captive.

Okay, those were the lies. Here is the truth.

Elder Jeffery R. Holland-"Broken things to mend"

"When He says to the poor in spirit, “Come unto me,” He means He knows the way out and He knows the way up. He knows it because He has walked it. He knows the way because He is the way.

Brothers and sisters, whatever your distress, please don’t give up and please don’t yield to fear. "

President Dieter F Uchtdorf-"Happiness Your Heritage"

-"Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside." 

Rapunzel fights against these lies throughout the whole movie. In the process of finding out who she really is(a princess), she creates wonderful things in the process. She blesses the lives of thugs and helps them realize their dreams, she heals others, and she brings light to others in darkness.

If I let Satan discourage me with thoughts of fear and failure I will forget that I am "Tangled" in good fortune all around me. I have so much going for me. I know that I have touched the lives of several children this last month. However, in His wisdom, the Lord decided to remind me of this. This reminder came in an actual fortune cookie. It was by no coincidence that I opened my fortune cookie last night and found this message inside:

Remember, that like Rapunzel, we can find out who we are, if we will overcome fear of failure instilled in us by Satan. We have to take that step, out of the tower and into the unknown, and believe that we will have good "fortune" all around us. And, remember to lift others along that path.

wow.

Okay, I am going to be honest. I had a little breakdown last night. It seemed like everything was falling apart. There were about 5 things in my life that happened at the same time and combined to make a seemingly insurmountable trial.

Through lots of prayer, I was finally able to grab some peace and the thought I had as I went to bed last night was that somehow it was all going to be okay. Today, I kid you not, everything fixed itself! Everything! And on top of that I received many additional blessings that were very unexpected.

Today I am grateful for:
Everything.

Forever strong

Today I watched the movie "Forever Strong"

My favorite quote from the movie happens when Coach Gelwix asks Rick to be captain. Rick responds saying that he(Rick) is a "no good spy who cheap-shotted [his] star player last year"

The coach responds, "let's focus on where you could end up, not where you were or are; and - God doesn't make a no-good ANYTHING."

When we are being hard on ourselves, we need to remember to look for our potential. Don't focus on the past. Satan would like you to think that you can never change. That you will continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. This is not true. Let us focus on where each of us can end up if we keep trying to change. Its a process.

Today I am grateful for:

• My ability to continue striving to achieve the great expectations the Lord has for me.
• Leftover Costa Vida. Yep.
• My body's capacity to heal itself.

Being God-Taught

Tonight, I went to Ashley's Doctrine and Covenants class with her. Her teacher quoted Brigham Young's wife saying that he was so kind that he must have been "God-taught". I pondered on this throughout the rest of the class period. At first I thought about being as kind as Brigham Young.

Then I realized a bigger lesson. God is teaching me every day. I have a place in my dinky closet to pray. In there I have had some of my most spiritual and sacred moments. During these conversations with my Heavenly Father, am showing God that I am ready to learn what he has to teach me that day or that moment. In other words, I am being God-taught.

Most of the teaching usually occurs as I go throughout each day. Today, I learned a lesson about pain. I didn't realize that recovery from surgery could be so painful. However, as I reflected upon this experience, I realized that through the struggle I am going through, I am learning to have empathy for others.

Also, I know that after this experience, other physical pains will not seem as bad to me. It reminds me of when I was learning to drive. I drove part of the way from Oregon to Utah. As I drove on the flat parts at first, I was tense, and scared because I had to go so fast. Then, we came to one of the most difficult parts of the trip. It was the steep winding hills part. FUN! I was even more stressed, but you know what? When it went back to being flat. It was soooooo much easier. I felt pretty good about my driving skills.

Sometimes the Lord pushes us to feel pain(whether physical, emotional, or mental) so that when we get back to the flat portion of life, it is sooooo much easier. We are more grateful for the little things that we overlooked before things got much harder.

Usually we don't stay on the flat road too long before the Lord, in His wisdom, and through His immense love for us, allows us to learn even more and become even stronger.

What a thrill it is for us to be God-taught. If we open our eyes, we will see the lessons that He teaches us, and we will be grateful for those lessons. Even during the trying and hard times.



Today I am grateful for:

• Pain that increases my tolerance and gratitude
• Mary for studying so hard so that she knows exactly how to take stitches out. I would be in so much pain if she didn't know how to take out the accidentally left over stitches. 
• Quotes and cute videos from my niece, Emily
• Our roommate time when we all forgot our homework and giggled about ridiculous things together-this was one of those moments that matter most that I talked about in the previous post.
• The school song that my first graders sing every monday that makes me cry. EVERY TIME.

Extraordinarily Ordinary Moments

Well, I am finally coming to the end of my recovery from hand surgery. My bandage came off today and my stitches came out. So now I am just working on getting full use of my hand again.

I have been sitting in the library for a while trying to work my hand out while trying and failing to motivate myself to do homework. I didn't even notice that I was starting to let my mood go downhill.

Then, who knew exactly what I needed? The Lord of course. Some random guy walked by and gave me a smile. That's it. A smile. I say he gave me a smile because of course, what did I do, I smiled back. Then, what do you know, I was smiling!

I started to reflect on many of the talks by President Uchtdorf. He most often instructs us to slow down and pay attention the the ordinary moments of life.

Here is a good example:

I also am reminded of this talk by our prophet President Monson. He teaches us to be grateful for the ordinary.

To go along with my thanksgiving theme, today, I am grateful for that smile. Although it was such an ordinary moment, gratitude has made it into an extraordinary moment; it has brought me closer to my Heavenly Father as I realize that he chose to bless my life through a stranger.

We all need to smile more; we will never know how many smiles we create on the faces of others this way.

It's that time again.

Its the time of year that fills us with fond and warm feelings. I have often thought about why we love this time of year so much. I think a lot of it is because we spend so much time with those we love. \

There is even more to it than that. We spend time coming closer to our Heavenly Father and our Savior. My favorite thing about this time of year is that during November, we focus on being grateful for all we have. It sets the stage. We begin to look back at all we have been given this year, and all the ways we have grown. Gratitude is one of the best ways to find happiness and contentment in life. It is also a great way to come closer to our Father in Heaven and feel the spirit.

Next, in December, we focus on Jesus Christ. I love that it seems like everyone turns their attention to the Savior through singing praises and serving those around them. That is why we feel so much Joy.

Then we take all of this positive energy and throw ourselves into a new year with excitement. I love the transition here. We can look back and see where we were, and where we are now. Then we plan where we want to be at the end of the next year.

What and inspired time of year! And we share it with those we love!



Things i am grateful for today

• My mom and my sister came all the way from Oregon to visit me. We had such a good weekend full of good food, shopping and movies. I love those two so much!
• My dad gave me a Nexus 7. Yeah. That's right. It is the coolest thing I have ever owned. But it isn't just the fact that he gave me such a cool gift, it was the thought behind it that makes me SOO happy. He told me he was proud of me and wanted to do something for his "Amydo". I am so lucky to have parents that show their love for me every day, and support me in all that I do.
• Rachel and I made fort. Yes. A fort! In our living room! How lucky am I to have a roommate that would get just as excited as me to spontaneously build a fort in our living room.

I can do anything good

Doing things with one hand is a fun challenge. I didn't think that surgery recovery could be so fun! Not only do i have one hand to use, but i have the added challenge that it is my left hand that I am learning to use.

I am learning that I really can do anything good!

Here is that video again

Today's challenges

1. Tightening the lid on my water bottle.

2. Math Homework.

3. Squeezing toothpaste onto my toothbrush.

I think I will skip my shower for tomorrow(nobody smell me). I need to work up to that challenge. Things will be much easier when i can feel my fingers again...

The Merciful Obtain Mercy/Mountains to climb

I decided to post my powerpoints from my relief society lessons here on my blog. So here they are.

The Merciful Obtain Mercy
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TDKOdbBxWcWy4N01dSB5kAnGZrDCsol8BWPeEWbnwss/edit
I also showed this video during this lesson. I HIGHLY recommend watching this.

Here is the actual talk

Mountains to Climb
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1QpwaEQTDQmjc7IeMxUROkmphSxbbE5vK5aa_em1MeSs/edit

Here is the general conference talk for this one

Nobody knows.

A wise woman once told me...
"Nobody knows how much confidence you have so take as much as you want!"

This has been such a help to me as I have been teaching this past week. I get so nervous to go into my first grade classroom, but as soon as I am there, I remember this phrase. Thank you Rachel Moyes.

Sometimes we think that the whole world thinks we are incompetent, when in reality, we are the only ones that do. We can have as much confidence as we want. The power is within us when we pray to have the strength of the Lord to do the things that are hard or scary to us.

When trials come and our fears threaten to destroy us, remember that we can pray, no matter where we are and we will be given the strength to take the amount of confidence that we need to accomplish the tasks that the Lord has put before us.

"Those that bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

Today, I had the chance to be there for someone when nobody else could. This meant that I would not have time to eat any lunch in between my classes. I learned that when I serve and sacrifice things(like my lunch) I am blessed beyond measure. I have seen the hand of the Lord in my life today throughout the ENTIRE day!


For example, instead of eating lunch I ended up at target. Well, the Lord knows who I am and though I was completely willing to be hungry the rest of the day, He had a better idea. Right as we walked into target a  woman working there offered us a FREE SAMPLE of kettle corn. How blessed am I??? I had enough food to last my the rest of the day! It seems like a little thing, but I was touched to know that the Lord would bless me, even in a simple little thing.

President Uchtdorf said that the author of Peter Pan said,
"Those that bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves."

I felt like this today. It was such a simple thing that I did, it didn't take much effort on my part, and the blessings I received were so great that I don't even feel I deserved them. It would take way too long to list every good thing that has happened to me today, but just know, the Lord loves and blesses us for even the most minuscule step in the right direction.

Thank goodness I am not in control.

Last night, Ashley(my roommate) and I were talking. We both agree that it is such a wonderful thing that we are not in control of the things that happen in our lives. Sure, sometimes we think we are, but really we are not. The best part is that the Lord, who is omnipotent, knows what is going to happen. Sometimes, I like to imagine what the Lord thinks of me when I am freaking out over little things. Ash reminded me that He knows what is coming, so I can imagine Him smiling and saying, "Amy, if you only knew what was in store for you." 

I came across this scripture this morning in my scripture study:
Psalms 97:1
The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of the isles be glad therof

Isn't it wonderful that the Lord indeed reigns over everything? Isn't it great that when we don't have a handle on our lives, or don't feel like we know what is going to happen, the Lord does. Our Heavenly Father has a handle on things. All we need to do is have faith and trust that he has it all under control. 

He will never give us anything that is too hard for us to handle with His help, because, with His help, we can do anything. We can overcome any sin, heartache or trial "fought in the lonely foxholes of the human heart" as Elder Jeffery R Holland says. All it takes is grabbing the Savior's hand.

I also am learning about the importance of singing hymns. I have started memorizing them in the shower. Hopefully nobody can hear me. 
This is my next one I am going to memorize. The lyrics really apply here, I know that "Thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past."

Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;

With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.

Leave to thy God to order and provide;

In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.

Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend

Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake

To guide the future as he has the past.

Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;

All now mysterious shall be bright at last.

Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know

His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on

When we shall be forever with the Lord,

When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,

Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.

Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,

All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.

-LDS Hymnbook

This is BYU's Vocal Point singing "Be Still My Soul"

Staying positive

Sometimes, when life is hard, we need to have this kind of an attitude. 

Perhaps we could follow this little girls example. Try the Daily Affirmation technique.

Sometimes you gotta fake it till you make it.

Premeditated sick day.

Well. This morning I woke up with that all-too-familiar pain in the throat. You know what that means. Well when your roommate has been sick, you realize its only a matter of time. So, in an effort to make this the most comfortable illness, I have come up with some plans. (just know that this is somewhat goofy and I am not entirely serious)

The plan

Tuesday(today)

• While I am feeling somewhat good-aside from a soar throat and a headache-I need to get a lot done. All of the readings and assignments I have for my classes this week need to be done today!
• I am going to need drugs(medicine) and groceries for my "hibernation" so I will go to the grocery store after class.
• I will go to all my classes today
• Drink water and rest-I need to put off the big wave of sickness for at least another day
• Stay positive and have fun talking, singing and laughing before I can't.

Wednesday

• I will be feeling a little more awful this day, but I need to push through!
• This is the day I finish my assignment for literacy that is due Thursday, and complete ALL my math homework for the week, take my math test(even though it is the first day it is open), and hopefully make it to the temple. 
• My cousin Tessa will be in town, so if I wanna see her before I am dreadfully sick, I can see her this day as well.
• Drink water! Take medicine. dayquil and niquil. 
• Stay positive(or complain a little)

Thursday

• Sick day!!! (I can miss some class today-if needed of course)
• With any luck, I will have gotten my homework done for the week, so I can sleep!!!!
• I do need to go to the class that I have a presentation in. But I can email my other teachers(if its really bad I can miss my presentation) 
• If I am feeling strong, I will go to my classes(we will see)
• Groaning and complaining may happen this day(Don't be too hard on yourself for having a negative attitude.)
• Drink water, sleep, nap, snooze, doze, take medicine, sleep some more.
• Institute may be a possibility if I am feeling well enough
• Make Ashley do things for me

Friday

• Sick day #2 (I have no class this day, so feel free to stay in bed alllll day!)
• Movies movies movies and more movies!
• "The Best Two Years"
• "The Road to El Dorado"
• "Cheaper by the Dozen 2"
• "A Walk to Remember"
• Drink water, sleep, medicine
• Make Ashley do things for me. Perhaps a Back massage

Saturday

• Time to get better
• Take a shower, put on real clothes-not just sweats. 
• Make sure I finished all my homework
• Do my laundry and wash my germ infested bedding, towels, and clothes
• Clean my room(odds are it will be a mess)
• Still drink water
• Get some fresh air

Sunday

• All better! 
• Resume life as usual

And there you have it. This is a fool-proof sick plan. We will see how it goes.

Seeking out the Rainbows

I think it is no coincidence that after a rainstorm a beautiful rainbow like this one can appear. 

Maybe it is just me, but I feel like every day there is something that we can consider a rainstorm. 

It is easy to focus on the storm. It brings fear that we will not make it through, doubt that it will ever lift, and frustration that we cannot see the sunshine through the clouds.

However, there are rainbows in our lives. We have to emerge from the safety of our home to see the rainbows. We have to believe that if we go outside and look there will be a beautiful rainbow.

      

As Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf encouraged us in General Conference today, we should be happy right now. We shouldn't wait for the end of our lives to be happy. So, I am going to start looking for things to make me happy through this journey of life. I will look for the beautiful rainbows that come every day BECAUSE of the storms that come.

Today, I had several of my friends say the right thing at the right moment. This was a rainbow to me. I am amazed at how much my Father in Heaven loves me. He sends me angels every day. Words can't express the gratitude I feel for their words of encouragement. Because they followed promptings my life has been greatly blessed today. 

Another rainbow today was the delicious pizza I had for dinner. I know that doesn't seem big, because it's not really. But these are the moments we need to look for. I savored that pizza, because I could. Life is made up of ordinary moments that can be turned into extraordinary moments if we take the time to notice them.

This is one of my all-time favorite videos. Notice that it shows the rainbows as well as the storms. They are all beautiful moments in our lives because they all "lead us to the Savior of the world."

He is my strength.

Today is a big day for me. I am teaching my first language arts lesson to 2nd graders.

I will admit that this morning fear overwhelmed me. I know I am not the only one in my major that feels this way, but when I look at my peers, they all seem to have it together and I am convinced(by Satan) that I don't measure up.

Thanks to the wise counsel of my mother, I know that I can pray to have love for the students I teach today and that the Lord will teach through me even when I feel inadequate. In fact, I have learned recently that through my weakness, the strength of the Lord can come through.

I read this in my scriptures the other day. It really shows how I feel. I look at where I need to go in order to be an effective teacher, and it seems impossible, but I know that in these times of weakness, the Lord can bring strength out of me.
2 Corinthians 12:10
10. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

This video just reminds me that I do have so much to offer. "He loves me the way I am. He is my strength when I stand." I have to do the standing, he will provide the strength.

Matthew 11:28-29

28. Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

29. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

I believe Him. I know that he will strengthen me when I feel small. He loves me with an infinite love. He will not leave me alone. He listens when I pray, and he answers. He knows I can be a teacher. And if He knows I can do what he has told me to do(be a teacher), then I can! That is all there is to it. I just can. I don't know how, but He does.

Young Womens Flashback

This song brings back so many memories of when I was taught my divine worth in young womens. I am so grateful to all my teachers and leaders. 

Especially to my own mom, who followed me from primary to young womens. 

Wish she could have followed me to college. 

Scripture Study

Sometimes, when we are in a slump, it is because we are not doing all we can to study and search the word of God. I need to heed this counsel from an apostle of the Lord.

I will try to immerse myself in the living waters, not just dip.

"Thirst is a demand by the cells of the body for water, and the water in our bodies must be replenished daily. It frankly does not make sense to occasionally “fill up” with water, with long periods of dehydration in between. The same thing is true spiritually. Spiritual thirst is a need for living water. A constant flow of living water is far superior to sporadic sipping."

Classroom Metaphor

I had to write this for a class. I really enjoyed writing it, so I thought I would post it. It is a metaphor for a classroom, but I think it applies to daily life.

In the classic movie, Beauty and the Beast, the Beast presents Belle with a marvelous library filled with thousands of books. I imagine myself in a library much like this one—with its ceiling-high shelves filled with books. Some books are worn and tattered; some are seemingly in perfect condition. Some have pages ripped out and seem uninviting on first glance while others, with their flashy covers draw my immediate attention and fill me with excitement. Each book is titled with a name. I find sections of the library with rows of books with titles such as Jonathan, Cassandra, and Timothy.

I notice for the first time that I am not the only one in the library. Others are walking up to the shelves, removing books, writing in them, and returning them to the shelves. I pull a few books from the shelves and open them. Stunned and a little disappointed, I see that they are not finished; each book has only a few chapters written in it. I look a little further and find a book with my name on it. It, too, is unfinished. As I read, I can tell from the handwriting and the style of writing who has been writing in my book. I see pages where my parents, teachers and friends have written.

After reminiscing for a while, I realize that I am in the library for a purpose. Just as people have written in my book, I must write as well. I find a chair with my name on it and a stack of books sitting on an end table next to it. Those are the books that have been entrusted into my care. But how do I know what to write? Well, first, I need to know what the story is about. I begin to read. I realize that the more I read from each book, the more I understand what is important for each story. I cannot write a single chapter and copy and paste into several different books. It isn’t that simple. What is right for one book is not going to make sense in any of the other books. I am drawn to the good looking books, but as I open the less than beautiful books, I am amazed to discover the stories of courage and love inside. These teach me almost more than the books I am initially drawn to.

I pick up my pen to write and come to another roadblock. How do I know where these stories are going? What is supposed to happen in the end? I have no way of knowing what to write because I don’t what the purpose of each book is. I realize that I’m not the author of these books. I simply am writing a chapter for someone else. Who is the author then? God is the author. He has been trusting people like me to write in each of his precious books all along. This is His library. I feel the pressure begin to rise, as I realize that my small amount or writing knowledge is nothing in comparison to the real author’s skills and knowledge. The thought that brings me comfort is that if I want to write the right things I need to ask Him. I need to be in constant communication with God; only He knows the purpose of the books He writes. He knows what needs to be in each one in order for those who read them to be influenced and inspired. If I ask Him, I will know what I need to write.

As I contemplate this, I notice that people periodically come up and borrow books from my table. I realize that I’m not the only one who has been given the task of writing in these books. As I collaborate with those around me, I will be able to understand even more of what the author has in mind for each book that I am supposed to write in.

After I have written what I can, I receive other books at my end table. I will never forget my experiences with each book however. Every book I have read has influenced me; I have learned from each. I am who I am because of what I have read and written in each book. I have developed a relationship with the true author, God, as I have spoken with Him frequently about His precious books.

For my Daddy!

Okay here it is! This song is quite special to me because it reminds me of my dad. We used to rock out to this in his truck all the time. It is a little weird that I am singing it because I am not a boy, but oh well. Here it is!

The Best Days with Mom

Sometimes I get on to post something on my blog, and I am stumped. I just want to have something really important to say before I type it for the whole world to see. Then, I get off without posting anything. Fail. Well not today! Today I found something important to say. 

To my mother:

Here is a song that pretty much sums up how I feel about my mom. She has always been there for me, so this is how I feel. Don't judge my guitar skills I just learned this yesterday. It is not about me level of talent, but more about the message. Also, don't worry Daddy! Your's is coming. I am learning it.

The video quality isn't very good. Hopefully you can hear it kind of.

Lovin' Oregon

I have been in Oregon for a week, and it has bee great! We haven't done much, but that is the way I like it sometimes. Relax!!!!! We did go to the beach though and to the Astoria tower. Here are some pictures from that trip.

Emily and Michelle playing in the water at the beach in Sea Side.

Way to cute. Both of them.

Brian, Nadine and Audrey

Becky's hair is so curly! Perfect for the windy beach.

Jeffery

Lunch Buffet!

Such a pretty face

This is the tower we climbed. There are precarious spiral stairs inside. Emily kept telling people to be careful.

View from the top

We were pretty high up. Mom and Grandpa are just dots down there.