My International House of....Roomies.

This is my 3rd Fall here at my apartment. Is that weird I haven't moved yet? My roommates keep moving, so I feel like I get a change and don't have to. You'd be suprised how much diversity you can fit in one apartment...Marianna was from Czechoslovakia, Sehee is from South Korea, Michelle is a Kiwi (New Zealand), Farida is from Bangladesh, Amai is from Mexico, Aline grew up in Saudi Arabia (she's half Tongan), and Aneseh is Iranian-American. Jillian claims to be Irish, and although it is definately in her blood, she's from Texas. And then there's me. Someone's gotta represent Utah!

Sailing gone bad

I was asked to go sailing for a date....so I went. We picked up the little small sailboat and headed out to Willard Bay. The winds were strong and we headed out w/ out any problem. I was really surprised by how fast we could get moving. After about an hour we we decided to turn around. The winds started picking up even more, and then our rudder broke. You can't steer without a rudder. So i took hold of controlling the sail, and Mr. Date Man used a paddle as a rudder. Then that broke. We were SOOOooo far away from shore. Our only other option was to paddle in. we had 2 wimpy plastic paddles, one half broken. So we took down the sail and paddled, and paddled, and paddled, AND paddled......FOREVER. I would look up, and I swear we weren't moving any closer to shore. If we stopped for a second we would drift further out. The water was so chopy and I was sitting in a puddle. I started getting really motion sick. It was gettting even more stormy and the thought did cross my mind that we may never get back. The lake was void of people because the bad weather. My muscles were cramping, and I was trying not to vomit. I wanted to cry but figured praying would be a better option, so I started praying, and I prayed really hard. Then after about 15 more min or so we saw a fisherman in the distance, we finally got his attention and he came over in his motorized boat and allowed us to hold on to the side and took us to shore. Now the problem was we were a mile south of the dock. Mr. Date wanted me to run back to get the truck because he didn't have shoes on....I said i felt sick and would rather not...also I hate driving stickshift (last time I drove one it started on fire.) I held on to the boat and kept it from blowing away, and Mr. Date ran back w/ my shoes on to get the truck. He arrived with 2 policemen in their police trucks w/ lights on and the park ranger. They helped me up and canceled the ambulance that was on it's way. I have no idea why Mr. Date felt it was necessary to request for the paramedics, but he did. Anyway while i was sitting in the police truck out of the wind I couldn't help but chuckle to myself. It was an epic date.

Having a blog isn't of much fun if you don't write anything....so after a several weeks of a very empty blog, I finally got the umph to attempt this new phase of life as a blogger. Just about everyone I know who has a blog is married; I'm not. I haven't figured yet out if marriage really is a prerequisite to acceptance into the blogging world, but I'm willing to take my chances and defy tradition. So here I am.
I must confess I am not much of I writer. The first thing I can remember wanting to be when I grow up was a Book Maker. You may have never heard of this occupation, and neither had I. But it was conjured up in my mind and is basically this: I wanted to write books, illistrate them, AND assemble them. I pretty much wanted to do it all. Sad to say, my confidence in and love for writing didn't much past elementary school. But thanks to the cheesy saying I saw this week on my sister's bathroom counter: "Dance like nobody's watching. Love like you'll never get hurt. Sing like nobody's listening." So today I'm blogging like nobody is reading.

I spoke in church today on personal revelation. My options were that or being prepared when the opportunity for marriage arrises. I quickly chose the former. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a pro-marriage advocate, but I do feel a tad inadequate to be preaching on the matter.

With every trial we may face, God has already prepared a way for us to get through it. Although he may not rid us of our trials, He will strengthen us through them. We are not expected to go through the trials or responsibilities of this life in darkness. We must turn to our Father in heaven and He has promised to pour out his Spirit upon us.
In the previous conference, Sister Beck said, “The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.” Through the spirit we can be directed daily of what to do and how to live to bring ourselves, our families, and others closer to Christ. We can grow strong in confidence that the Lord is pleased with how we live when we are obedient.
We can all qualify to receive personal revelation, but God will not force it upon us. We must begin with a desire to converse with God. As we greater understand our relationship with Him, and that we are literally his sons and daughters, we will have an increased desire to talk with Him. We prepare to receive personal revelation by keeping the commandments, renewing our baptismal covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament, and continually repenting and redirecting our hearts and lives to the lord. Worthines to receive personal revelation is in not so much a matter of where we are, but where we are going.
Elder Robert D. Hales said, “If you have not heard his voice speaking to you lately, return with new eyes and new ears to the scriptures. They are our spiritual lifeline.... When we want to speak to God we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures.” They put us in tune with the spirit of the Lord, and "will tell [us] all things what [we] should do.”
At times we may feel a drought of spirituality or personal revelations. No matter the reasoning, it is important during these times that we remember the way we have felt when the spirit did testify in our mind and in our heart.
As president Uchtdorf said, “My dear young friends, we are a question-asking people because we know that inquiry leads to truth...Be curious, but doubt not! Always hold fast to faith and to the light you have already received."
I'm really not looking for a "Longest Post in History" award, but I do know we have a loving Father in heaven who is aware of our every need and desire. He wants to speak to us and will, if we will but listen. Happy Sunday!