Hope is the Thing

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches on the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all

-Emily Dickinson

Happy First Day of Summer!

I celebrated today by taking a lunch time nap in the sun! :)

Fear vs. Love

February 28, 2010

While walking home from church today, I thought a lot about fear. We live in a society driven by fear. We are slaves to it. There is the fear of failing, so we don't try new things. There's the fear of someone hurting us, so we don't walk alone outside, or we don't go to certain parts of town. There's the fear that no one will like you, so we act fake and phony so that if they don't like us, it doesn't hurt your real self. There's the fear of becoming obese, so we spend hours on end exercising, and thinking about how to eat healthier. These are just a few of many fears I witness in people every day. Fear motivates us. How did this happen? Shouldn't it be love? I want love to be my motivator, my driving force.

The Alma 32 Date Relate

So, while reading Alma 32 November 22, 2007, I had these thoughts. It is amazing how scriptures can relate to you during any situation/phase of life. Check it out....

Alma 32 as it relates to dating....

Verses 6-7: Don't try to change someone and make them interested in the idea of dating you. Seek out those who are ready. Don't waste your time on those who are not.

Verses 16-17: You don't need to "know" everything perfectly in your mind before/during dating, just believe in what you feel through the spirit. Don't seek for signs from God (Verse 21)

Verse 27: Experiment, broaden your dating horizons to wherever the spirit leads you, and as you do that, you will be lead to many people that will help you to learn and grow in relationships, and eventually to your eternal companion. You will know when it is right (verse 28)

Verses 30-32: Every seed bringeth forth unto it's own likeness. You will know if a relationship is going to work out or not. If it's not going to, "cast it away".

Verse 37: You must nourish and take care of your relationship.

Verses 38-40; If you neglect a good relationship and don't take care of it properly, it will not take root, and it will wither away. Not because it is a "bad" relationship, but because you didn't nourish it, it was taken away. You will not be blessed with the fruit thereof.

Verses 41-43: Nourish your relationship with faith, diligence, patience, seeing the great potential "fruit" thereof. It will take root, and you will reap the rewards from your faith, diligence, patience, ect.

Ensign Favs

Preparation Brings Blessings

Continue in Patience

Act in all diligence

All Things Work Together for Good

He Lives! All Glory to His Name!

Yellowstone Adventures

A bunch of us stayed in a cabin in Island Park a couple of weeks ago. We stayed on the lake and were able to paddle boat around. We also hiked Mesa Falls just outside of Island Park, and explored Yellowstone. It was beautiful!

New Painting!

My latest and greatest in the world of painting.....Titoi.

Titoi, the man in the maze
The story of Titoi is also the story of every human being, traveling through life as through a maze, taking many turns while growing stronger and wiser as death at the dark center of the maze comes closer. Tracing the light path with your finger you will find one more turn at the end, away from the center. Here we can look back on the trail and find acceptance of the last step.
-Tohono O'odham

Summer fav's as of late

This week I experimented and made some sweet potato hummus.....DELISH! Click here for the recipe I added some sesame seeds, and diced garlic to the top.

I am not really a juice drinker, but let me tell ya, I absolutely love the Mango Lemonade from Whole Foods.....It is something everyone should try....it will change your summer for the better :)

Stumpjumper

It has been about two years since I've been mountain biking, and I forgot how much I love it! At work, we have partnered with the Utah Bike Collective to do trips for kids. They take us mountain biking around Salt lake for three hours twice a week....(what a job I have! :) Last week we took the Bonneville Shoreline trail and rode some single tracks up in the hills-AMAZING! I'd been wanting to purchase a new mountain bike, and now the desire is amplified times 1,000. The bike I am thinking.....the Specialized Stumpjumper.

If my life was turned into a television show, it would definitely have to be Dharma & Greg. They are an all encompassing version of my life.....my classification.....the hippie yuppy preppy!

New Album!!!!

The lovely, the talented, JOSH RITTER has a new album out! I can't wait to get it! I am not usually one to pay to go to concerts, but he is coming back for a show in the fall, and I am going to fork out the dough.....he is AMAZING!

R.E.I

This past week I attended two free classes at R.E.I. Wildflowers of Utah, and Camp Cooking Basics. They were GREAT!

I LOVE dutch oven cooking. I've yet to purchase my own dutch oven, but I have been able to learn about them, and create many tasty recipes over the past few years thanks to my many kind friends who have been willing to share with me. I think the time has come to purchase my very own 12 in. standard :D

The wildflower class was taught by the Cottonwood Canyons Foundation. They showed us all of the wildflowers found in the canyons of the Salt Lake valley, and what time of year to look for them, and what trails to find them on. They offer free guided tours Saturday mornings at Alta, which I am definitely going on. I decided to compose my won book of flowers with the info. they gave us, so that I can use it as a pocket guide when I hike. I am excited! :D

www.cottonwoodcanyons.org