Be Strong, and of a Good Courage

"We live in a world where moral values have, in great measure, been tossed aside, where sin is flagrantly on display, and where temptations to stray from the strait and narrow path surround us. We are faced with persistent pressures and insidious influences tearing down what is decent and attempting to substitute the shallow philosophies and practices of a secular society."

Those are the words of President Monson, describing our world today. In the face of such adversity, what can we do? In a world that brings us pain and sorrow, how do we continue?

The answer, as always, comes to us from the Lord, who said "Be strong, and of a good courage." This, brothers and sisters, is both my topic and my invitation today. 

When we think of courage, what probably first comes to mind is someone, possibly a knight or a prince, who is fighting a physical battle. Courage, however, comes in all forms and touches many, many areas of our lives.

It takes courage to be kind. Some time ago, I did something that hurt someone that I cared about. It was something thoughtless and unintentional, but it still hurt her terribly. I could see the pain I had caused, but I didn't know how to make it right. I was afraid that because of my mistake, I had lost her friendship and possibly even her respect forever. Instead of choosing hurt or anger-feelings that would have been entirely justified-this woman chose to follow Christ's path. She choose love and charity. The next time that we met, instead of expressing her anger, she chose to show me love. To me, that was a great act of courage. It takes courage to look past ourselves and to be kind, even when others do not deserve it.

It takes courage to endure. There are days when it seems like you're already beaten down and then a new load of cares is delivered right to your doorstep. How easy would it be to sink down, and to stop where we are and to give up. But be of a good courage, do not despair. There will always be hands outstretched to help you, including those of the Savior who has graven you upon the palms of his hands and who will never forget nor forsake you. So be of a good courage, keep going, and move forward.

It also takes courage to be cheerful. Being cheerful isn't easy. Even when it's a habit, there are many fears and annoyances that can insinuate themselves and affect our mood. But be of good cheer! God lives the Gospel is true, and all that the Lord promises will come to pass. Be of good cheer and remember that the Lord loves you. He will provide a way. It may not be an easy one, or even a way you can see at first, but it will be there. 

It takes courage to follow the promptings of the Spirit. Sometimes they seem difficult or maybe even insignificant, but God is willing to bless us immeasurably for a small act of faith. We learn "line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little." Learning to follow even the smallest promptings of the Spirit helps us to learn and blesses our lives. Having the courage to follow our promptings will bless not only our lives, but the lives of others and will enable us to be better tools in the Lord's hands. 

Be of good courage, for the Lord thy God is with thee, and who can stand against Him? Having courage, the kind of courage that will help you to weather any storm and endure any hardship, requires faith. Courage comes when we trust in the Lord and trust His plans over ours. Having the courage to go where the Spirit directs and to do what the Lord asks of us means that we must have faith in Christ. I'm sure that that is not news to everyone, but since faith produces courage, and courage prompts us to increase our faith, our courage and our faith are always growing when we put our trust in God. Elder Holland has said, “If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets, take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived" (The Inconvenient Messiah, BYU Speeches, Feb 15, 1982).

Having courage does not mean that you rely entirely on your own strength. We're simply not strong enough. In the first section of the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord says that the fullness of His gospel will "be proclaimed by the weak and simple unto the ends of the world, before kings and rulers."  This may not initially seem like much of a comfort. We've just been called weak! But to me, this scripture speaks peace to my soul to know that I am not alone. I am weak, but God is strong. When I rely on Him, I have His strength to do His work. The Lord does not expect us to work alone. We have been commanded to pray and to ask for guidance and when we do, we can do far more than we ever could on our own.

This life is not easy, but God is far more interested in molding you into who you need to be than in you having an easy life. Amidst all our trials and cares, the courage that comes from an abiding, living testimony and faith in Jesus Christ is what will sustain us. None of us are intended to fail. Take heart in knowing that God is on your side, and if you let Him, He will direct your path.

As many of you know, I have been called on a mission an I leave in a week for the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission. It has taken a lot of courage to prepare for this, but I can already see the Lord blessing me and those around me. Better than I know anything else, I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is His son, that He died for us, and that He was resurrected. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true and living church of God on the Earth. I know without a doubt that Joseph Smith was a prophet, called of God to restore the Gospel in the latter days and that Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet of a living God. The Book of Mormon is the word of God, as is the Bible. I know that the temple is the House of the Lord and that we will be strengthened and comforted when we take the time to attend. Be strong, and of a good courage, brothers and sisters. The Lord lives and He loves each and every one of you. I bear my testimony of this and say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

A Love Letter to My Family

It seems like all spells of intense thinking come at night, oftentimes when you should be asleep. Tonight is no exception.

It's been a roller coaster of a month. There has been laughter, tears, and many, uh, let's call them interesting situations that have presented me with the opportunity for both. And beside me through all f it has been my family.

For me, leaving family is the hardest part of going. And I don't just have family in one place, either. I have family in the place I was born. I was blessed enough to be able to go visit them a little while ago. It was wonderful and exciting and absolutely exhausting. I was there for a little over a week but it felt like a month-in a good way. We just crammed a month's worth of activities into a week's visit. It was hard to leave them and not know when I'll be able to see them again. But it was so much fun to be able to spend time catching up.

I have family in the place where my parents and siblings live. One set of grandparents are nearby and some cousins too. It's the place that I return to, the place that I grew up, and the place where my opposite-of-extended-family is. (I know the term is "nuclear family" but it's just not descriptive enough.) My siblings were my playmates and fellow adventurers. We made forts, created stories, argued, and learned how to share. The family that I have here is the family that I know the most, the one that I've known nearly all my life.

And there is other family for me here too. There are people that I've known since I was very little, people that I've talked with and associated with for (what is to me) a long time. In a way, these people too are family.

There are the girls that became sisters to me, through shared experiences and the sharing of confidences. They're my family as well.

Then there are the people that I've met since moving out to college. Roommates, friends, people from my wards, even leaders. There are more people that have become part of my family in the past few years. They were hard to leave as well.

This parting was probably the most difficult for me. Before, we were all scattering, or in the case of my family back home, they'll always be the people that I return to, for holidays, family parties, visits . . . . This time, however, it was me leaving them. They were staying with each other, or at least close. This time, I was the one leaving with the possibility of not having my family there when I return.

I know that there are so many wonderful things in the future but a large part of me doesn't want to give up our late nights, adventures, heart-to-hearts, moments of silliness, support, and love that we created. But I had to, and that made it hard.

It may be a cliché, but it's certainly a true one: Home is not so much a place, as it is people. People are where I find my home and right now, my home is split. It's split between the new and the old, between the people that are family by blood and the people that are family by virtue of being "kindred spirits." I have so many places that have family.

It's hard to always be separated from some of my family, to have the cravings for some replaced by the missing of others but what outweighs the grief of missing them is the joy that I have in them. I have been so blessed to have been surrounded wherever I am with people that I can consider family. I have been surrounded with love and opportunities and so, so blessed with the people in my life.

There are so people, so many of you that I miss. I wish I could talk to each of you personally, and spend time hearing about your life and what you're doing, what you've been up to. I can't but I hope you know that I appreciate each of you. Each of my family members and my friends means a lot to me.

On this earth, there will never be a time when I will be able to be surrounded by all of those I love and care for. This could bring me great pain, but I think that it is part of an incredible blessing. It means that no matter where I am, I will have family with me. No matter where I go, I will always never be without family. And that is one of the greatest blessings I think anybody could have.

Thank you for being a  part of my life, for the adventures great or small that we've shared. I hope that there are more to come in the future. There are so many people to miss, but that is only because I have been blessed with a large and ever-growing family. I am so lucky to have an amazing family that brings me so much joy.

All my love,
Elicia

Dishonoring Vows

I appreciate humor as much as the next person and I can definitely relate to not being 100% satisfied by book endings. But how dare you, sir!

I came across a meme (for lack of a better word. I don't know what it's actually called) that was some famous tv show host going on a bout how J.K. Rowling had supposedly said (I've never actually found the interview in which she was supposed to have said this so I have to go with "supposedly")that Harry and Hermione should actually be together. Which, I understand since I've thought that since the beginning. What upset me was his suggestion.

He suggested, no, demanded that another book be written, one in which Harry , after I think it was 10 years, recognizes his true feeling for Hermione , she apparently has always had feelings for him, and they go off together for a night and have an affair.

HOW DARE YOU! "Sir" is too much of a title for you because with a remark like that, you are obviously not a gentleman.

What kind of suggestion is that? What kind of suggestion is it for a husband to abandon his wife and children, even for a night, to break the promises that he made for his marriage in order to satisfy his own personal lusts and vice versa? What kind of twisted suggestion is that?

Part of this suggestion was that in doing so, Harry would "man up." Excuse me, but that is in no way, shape or form any sort of  "manning up." To man up would be if Harry realized that he had these feelings (a little late, don't you think?) and then proceeded to squash them. And why would he do that? Because he would put the needs, especially including the emotional needs, of his family above his own. He would be making a choice to sacrifice his personal desires in favor of preserving his family.

"Manning up" would be for Harry to strengthen his relationship with his wife and to work on loving her more. He would honor her and he would protect her. He would serve her and her would never, ever, do anything to endanger the solid foundation of their marriage. That is "manning up."

What's so important about the fictional life of a fictional character and choices that he didn't actually make? It's a reflection of how our culture and our society thinks. There were people cheering this on and there are people laughing and agreeing with this suggestion. There are people who find it funny. But I cannot. I cannot find the humor in the idea of someone abandoning all of his vows, promises that he swore to honor, to satisfy something so base. Love is grand and good but it is not love that invites you to forsake those you have made promises to.

It was and is not funny to me that someone could think that such an idea was good. It is not. That is simply all there is to it. Breaking promises and dishonoring vows is not to be celebrated and cheered on. It is something that is shameful and that should not be acceptable or encouraged.

How to Contour Your Face And Look Beautiful

"How to Contour Your Face And Look Beautiful"

NO. No. Just no.

Stop it! Stop believing that you have to look a certain way to be beautiful! You're beautiful already (or handsome if you're a guy).

It makes me mad when I come across headlines like the one above. They always show a before and after photo, the former implying that because they're not plastered in make-up, they are not beautiful. Because their cheekbones are not razor sharp and their face perfectly highlighted, they are not beautiful. What a joke. What a stupid, idiotic, sick kind of joke.

I read an article the other day that brought up the idea that the industries that objectify women (fashion, make-up, diets, etc) are not actually perpetuated by men, but by women themselves. The article pointed out that it isn't men who buy the magazines advertising 101 ways to lose weight for bikini season, it's the women. It's those who are the customers and consumers of these industries who are the perpetuators.

I've thought about this before and I'd like to extend this idea to fit all of humanity in general. The people who are truly perpetuating the ideas and myths about appearance and expectations are ourselves! Whenever you find yourself coming up against a social construct about, say, what you should look like, you put it there! You looked at what was around you and you let yourself believe that, despite knowing that the model was probably airbrushed out of existence, you should look like them. You let yourself define your own self-worth in comparison to the world of images around you and held them up every time you looked in a mirror.

It's you who decides if you're skinny enough, if you're comfortable enough, whether you look better with or without make-up. So stop upholding these ridiculous standards for yourselves. If you find yourself dissatisfied with your appearance, first evaluate whether it's a valid concern or not. If it is, fix it! It's okay, even healthy, to compare yourself to your standards but only if that prompts you to do something about it. And I'm not talking strict dieting either. Learn to recognize the signs of your own body. No two bodies are alike so sorry, there's not magic formula for perfection.

So learn to listen to your body and only uphold healthy standards. And love yourself for who you are. Contoured or not, I think you have a beautiful face.

Forum 13B- A Simple Testimony

"Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, [I] love; in whom, though now [I] see him not, yet believing, [I] rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory" (adapted from 1 Peter 1:8). 

Peter's words are a perfect expression of my testimony. I have not seen Jesus Christ with my own eyes or heard Him preach but I do know Him and I love Him as my Savior and elder brother. I have not had a vision nor have I been visited by angels proclaiming His existence, but I believe that He is there. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that with a surety that cannot be shaken. I know without a doubt that there is a God in heaven and that reigns benevolently over the Universe. I know that we are loved by God, who has created a plan for the perfection of His children, and Christ, who sacrificed Himself for the sins of the world that all may be forgiven. 

I believe that God has ordained certain laws, not to bind us, but for our protection and guidance. I know that obedience to these laws brings everlasting happiness and enables us to become closer to God. I know that coming closer to God gives us a confidence and peace of mind that is unparalleled by anything else. Just as any parent tries to teach their children the things that they need to know in order to be happy and successful, God has given us instructions that are ultimately for our benefit. I know that God wants us to be close to Him as our Father but that it is our choice to do so. 

We are all part of a loving eternal family and if we understood how much we are individually loved, we would never feel alone again or doubt that there is a God and a purpose to this life. I testify that there is a God in heaven and that there is a purpose to this life. I invite everyone to take a moment to reflect on their relationship with God and consider His love for you and for His other children. I promise that if you truly seek God, He will not be hidden from you and that in seeking Him, you will find your greatest joy.

Forum 12B- The Lord is Our Helper

Looking back, so many of my forum letters seem to have something to do with trusting in God, including the one you're about to read. Learning to trust in and totally rely on God has been something of a focus of mine for the past few years. It's something that I find difficult sometimes, but it's something that gives me peace when I manage it.

One of God's attributes is charity and everything that goes along with that: patience, kindness, willingness to teach and to aid. He is always willing, wanting, and waiting* to give us that help that we need. Not necessarily the help that we think we need, but the help that he knows that we need. As it states in the book of Hebrews, "he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee" (13: 5). Think about it: God has promised that there will never be a time when He will leave us. I feel so small sometimes, just one person in the vastness of the world but God cares about me. I may be only one person out of billions but He still cares and still gives me the personalized help that I need. And He does that for each and every one of His children.

This kind of knowledge gives me courage, so that I "boldly say, The Lord is our helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me" (Hebrews 13: 6). With the Lord as my helper, what should I fear? There is nothing that is impossible for God and He has promised that even trials will be for my good. Why should I fear? Everything will work out, not according to my will and desires, but according to God's will. What better assurance could I have that there is a divine plan for my life and that my Heavenly Father will help me to accomplish it? I cannot think of any.

Trusting in God can be hard. It means that you have to trust someone other than yourself. But I challenge you to put even just a little more trust in God who loves you. I promise that it will bless your life. God has promised to be your helper. You just have to let Him.

Love,
Elicia

*Thank you Alfred P. Doolittle for that splendid piece of rhetoric

Breathing in Words

There are times when I just want to write. Need to write. To build a woven nest of words around me, words of all colors and hues, branches of sentences that build up a world around me. There are times when I cannot sit still with the voices waiting to be written and the words that will not be silenced. There are many times when I cannot think, speak, taste, be! until I release the words that are-- And not just any word will do. It has to be the exact right one. Professors call that diction. I call it necessary art. Don't people realize that each word is a slightly different color and you have to get the exact right shade for the painting of your paragraph to have the right effect?! Not paying attention to your words is like trying to paint a beautiful scene without caring what colors are on your palette. Writing, by which I mean choosing words with precision, is as necessary to me as breathing.

Body Image

Why are we, humanity I mean, obsessed with celebrities and especially with what they look like? Why do so many news stories and magazines have celebrities splashed across their pages? And why, oh, why are there so many diets, fads, and even affections fixated on celebrities?

Celebrities are not show dogs, to be walked around and judged and valued based on their appearance. They are people. PEOPLE. Famous people, yes, but people nonetheless. So why do we care what famous people look like in their swimsuits? Or what their dress size is? Or how much they weigh?

I can understand being concerned from someone's health on either end on the spectrum of size and weight, but other than concern for their health, why do we care so much about what famous people look like?

As far as I can tell, the reason their appearances matter so much to us is that they become a standard by which to measure ourselves. But why? What is the point?

Bodies are such incredible, almost magical things. I mean, think about it. Think about all of the functions that your body performs endlessly without you even being aware of them. Aerobic and anaerobic respiration, hemoglobin carrying oxygen through your bloodstream-oxygen that your lungs previously filtered out of the air you breathed in. All of the muscles that work together when you move or speak or sing. All of your brain functions and your heat beating and I could just go on and on. Even having the combined knowledge of hundreds of years of study, our best scientists still don't understand everything about how the body works.
The body is absolutely amazing.

I think that when we look at our body with a sense of disgust, shame, or a longing for it to be more like someone else's, we are being disrespectful and ungrateful. We are devaluing the miracle that our bodies are in favor of envying someone who probably, no definitely, isn't secure about what they look like either. We are saying that there is only one kind of beauty and we putting up a false standard for perfection.

Take care of yourself. Be healthy and enjoy being attractive. But stop looking at yourself and feeling shame. You are in control of yourself. If you think your health habits need a change, change them! Learn to look at yourself realistically. You are not perfect. But neither are the people in the gossip magazines or the people in the movies or the people making headlines. Instead of wishing that you looked different than you do, learn to appreciate the individual wonders of having a body.

I've heard a lot said about the objectification of women. But I think that the issue is more about the objectification of the body, whether is is male or female. Each person deserves to be looked at for who they are, not for what they are encased in. So please make sure that when you admire someone's looks, you look at them as more than a body. And please, the next time you find yourself distressed by your own appearance for whatever reason, stop cheapening something amazing and remember how incredible you and your body are. You. Are. Amazing! Remember that.

Love,
Elicia

Forum 8B- Free Born

While reading the story of the arrest of Paul at the temple in Jerusalem, I was struck by some of his words. He said "I was free born." (Acts 22: 28) What a powerful statement.

Now I know that this statement has a very specific context. Paul had just claimed the rights of his Roman citizenship and the chief captain of the band of soldiers that had him in custody was verifying it. Roman citizenship was not given like citizenship today. Just being born in the Roman Empire did give you the rights of a full Roman citizen. There were even different degrees of citizenship. Higher levels of citizenship could be earned in military service, awarded for service to the state, granted as a favor by someone in power, or something similar. However, a child born to Roman citizens was given their status. Being a citizen in a conquered country gave you extra rights and protection. So in this instance, Paul was laying claim to the legal rights associated with his status as a citizen.

That;s all very well and nice and has interesting implications for later, but I love thinking about the concept of being "free born" outside of the context of that particular moment. Think about it. We are all "free born." The second Article of Faith states that "we believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." That means that when we are born, we are born free of sin. At that moment, we are unstained and innocent. We do not remain that way, but when we begin life, we begin by being free.

It is our choices as we grow up that entangle us. Not just sins and misdeeds, but we are also caught in distractions and habits. How often do we find time or options sucked away because of something we had chosen earlier? Sins and mistakes also trap us in places we do not want to be with consequences that are difficult to face.

But through Christ's Atonement, we become free again. When we take advantage of the sacrifice that Christ made on our behalf, He loosens the bands that we have put around ourselves and frees us from the pain and suffering that have come. Christ's Atonement is infinite and eternal and applies at all times. It applied the moment that we were born ("all little children are alive in Christ" -Moroni 8:22), it applies now, and it will apply to each of us in the future. Christ's choice to take our sins and pains and everything upon Him made it so that we, like Paul, are "free born."

It doesn't matter what your past has been or what mistakes you have made. In Christ, all are "free born" and are able to be free through the miracle of His Atonement. "Come unto Christ, and be perfected in him" is my invitation to you. (Moroni 10: 32) Leave your sins and your pain behind and learn of the Savior who has made it possible for us to all be "free born."

Why I'm Choosing To Leave For 18 Months

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls of all ages! I am very excited to say that I have submitted my papers to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and that my call should be coming either this week or the next!!!!!!!!!

"What is this mission thing entail?" some of you might be thinking. Well, I'll tell you. Serving a mission be spending 18 months serving somewhere in the world. I'll be teaching people about Christ, trying to help better their lives, and performing service. I don't know where; that information will come with the letter that has my call. I could go almost anywhere in the world. Basically to almost any place found on this list: Mission.net Current Missions List . I'll be one of about 80,000 people out serving others.

Right before I leave to go wherever it is that I'm going, I'll be set apart as a missionary. Missionaries are encouraged to keep in contact with friends and family but in order to avoid distractions, these communications will be limited to letters, or depending on the mission, email. I'll be assigned to a companion (another sister missionary) and we'll stay together until either of are transferred. I'll get up at 6:30 am every morning, go teaching, and then be in bed by 10:30 pm. I might be learning a new language or I might be speaking English. I could be staying in the States, or I could be leaving the country.

Maybe right about now you're wondering why I've signed up for this and why I'm so excited about it. I'll tell you!

I'm excited to serve a mission because I'm excited to be able to go out and have the chance to spend a year and a half that's dedicated to serving people.

I want to serve a mission so I can teach people about Christ. I've seen the difference that Christ has made in my own life and how much happier this Gospel has made me. "Gospel" means "good news" and for me, that's exactly what it is. Christ's gospel is the most joyful kind of news that there is. So I want to go out and share as much of the good news as I can!

Love is why I want to serve a mission. I want to go out and heal people. And I believe that the best way to do that is to bring people to Christ because as our Savior, He is the best healer of all. I want to help people to feel Christ's love for them. I want to teach them and I want them to feel God's love. I'm not going out to baptize. That's just something secondary to me. I want to go and spread God's love and to teach and to heal. I feel like I am supposed to go to be an extension of Christ's open, loving arms and share His invitation to come unto Him. I'm going to do the work of the Lord, I'm going to love, and I'm going to heal.

I'm going because I feel called to this work and I want to be obedient. I have a testimony that there is a God in heaven, that He is our Father, and that He loves each and every one of His children and that includes you. I believe with all of my heart that Christ lives. I know that He is my Savior and Redeemer as well as my greatest friend and supporter. I have received a witness of the truth of The Book of Mormon and the LDS church. I believe that prophets are called of God and that God continues to bless the earth with revelation. I believe that God has a plan for our ultimate happiness. I testify that there is a God who cares and loves you and waits to bless you. I have seen the hand of God in my life and I hope that through my mission, I'll be able to show God's love to the world. I cannot wait to find out where I'll be called. Of course I'm nervous, but I have faith that wherever I go will be place that I am needed and that I'll be able to do whatever needs to be done if I rely on the strength of God.

In interviewing with one of my church leaders for my papers, he brought up 1st Corinthians 1:27 which says that God calls the "weak things of the world" to do His work. While that may not seem very complementary to be compared to the "weak things of the world", I find it immensely comforting. I am not going out on a mission and leaving everything that I know behind me to go talk to strangers for a year and a half because I think I'm just that amazing. That's not it. For one thing, I don't really like talking to strangers. Especially not about something so deeply personal as my religion. So that's not it at all. Instead, I recognize that I'm really very weak. But God doesn't expect me to do everything on my own. It is His work that I'm going out to do and so He will give me the strength to do it.

This mission will be one of the most challenging things that I will ever do but it will also be one of the best decisions of my life. And so, I'm sitting here, waiting for my call to come, impatient, nervous, and absolutely ecstatic. I cannot wait to find out where I'm going and to meet the people I'll be serving!

Please let me know if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them!

Love,
Elicia

Crossing Senses And A Little Bit of Perfect Nonsense

I'm someone who likes to play with words. Finding the exactly right one, placing it carefully, using words to describe things in ways that you wouldn't expect. I'm someone who tends to look at the world sideways. One of the most fun ways to do this is to think of things in terms of different senses. I think by crossing senses, you get a different feel for the meaning.

For example, I like to describe food in terms of things like the weather. Apple cider, freshly pressed and chilled tastes like autumn evening sunshine. That kind of sunshine that's waning but still warm. The kind that you feel when you sit outside to watch the sunset at the beginning of fall. Warm, lingering, and yet with a slight chill. That's the first sip. And when you swallow, you get the sensation of jumping into a crystal-cold pool in the middle of summer after letting the sun heat your skin. It's that almost-shock, the warring sensation between the heat of your skin and the chill of the water.

Or the taste of a ripe peach, just off the tree. It tastes like liquid sunshine.

Or the cranberry bundt cake that my mom makes. It tastes like Christmas. A bit like snow and a bit like green, and a lot of red. It tastes like the magic of Christmas Eve when you're small and the wonder of finding everything changed in the morning. It tastes like hunting for the perfect Christmas tree with your family and playing hide-and-go-seek between the trees. And the almond extract icing on top tastes like holidays and celebrations.

Food is also a unit of measurement for me. It used to take me half a bagel or one muffin to get from Seminary to my high school. And I try to take tests in no more than two wintergreen Lifesavers' worth of time. Three if it's a really hard test.

As I'm writing this, I'm realizing that food seems to be a common thread between all of these because I also tend to describe books according to how they taste. There's a book series that I like where the first book tastes like apple crisp, the second like a savory filled pastry, and the third almost like a molten chocolate cake.

But I really do think about more than food! I mean, I'll have days that are green, pink days, red days and purple days. Hardly any orange ones though. Numbers have colors and letters do too. I think that's why I've always been glad my name starts with an "E"....It's such a lovely light pink that fades into a pretty purple-y color. So words can have color too (although that's less often or it would be too distracting to read) but they especially have feelings associated with them.

So if you're ever talking to me, chances are that something that I say will be what my best friend and I have dubbed "perfect nonsense", that is, the kind of absolute nonsense that makes perfect sense to the people saying it. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a bit about how I view the world-crossed senses and a bit (well, okay, a lot) of perfect nonsense.

P.S. Watch out for an exciting (to me at least) letter coming up (hopefully) in the next day or two!

P.P.S. Someone somewhere someday should use the "I'd be lost without my blogger" line on me. I'd even let it be an exception to my not being a blogger.

In Much Silliness,
Elicia

Forum 7B- Hope in Hard Times

Today, I want to talk about hope. It can be a slippery little thing, and hard to hold on to. But I don't need to go into detail on that. We've all had days and weeks and maybe even years when having hope is a struggle. Sometimes, we may even lose hope for a while.

But one thing that we can hang on to in difficult times is the knowledge that God loves us and that He wants the best for us. Knowing and understanding the strength of God's infinite, everlasting love is important for our everyday lives, but especially for the times when hope is fading. Because knowing that God loves you can help you hang on to enough hope to get by. 

Believing that God loves you and has a purpose and direction for your life helps you to trust in Him and to hope in the future. It can take great faith but the most hope and greatest comfort can come from trusting "that he will yet deliver us" (2 Corinthians 1:10). Because He will. He always will. The timing will be His, which means that you may have to wait longer than you'd like, but He will always assist you in the way that will do you the most good.

God loves you. He has a plan for your happiness and He has plans to give you blessings. He loves you so much. He will always be there to help you and He is someone that you can always rely on. Don't give up hope. He will always be there. 

And to quote Jeffery R. Holland,

This beautiful printable found here

Forum 6B- Light in the Darkness

Doesn't it seem like as soon as we start doing or preparing to something good everything starts getting really hard? Seems that way to me. Anytime I have an important decision to make or am making plans, there's always something that comes up or rather several somethings that come up to complicate things.

Those things can be events, people, or even feelings and thoughts. Just these past weeks as I was thinking about an important decision I'm about to make (more on that later this week), I spent the first half of this week feeling very negative and dark, mainly about myself. It was awful. It was hard to see anything positive, even though I knew it had to be there. All I could do was just pray a small, consistent prayer. It wasn't eloquent at all, in fact, it wasn't even really words at all, just more of a pleading for some sort of help, any sort of help because I couldn't see an end. 

But even in dark moments, the Lord is able to send help. I took an afternoon to call up my grandparents, just to see how they were doing and to talk to them and all of them had something to say that helped me. Last Sunday, some friends and I skipped Sunday School announcements and opening exercises to go and splash in puddles for a while. Our feet were soaked and freezing but being so silly was wonderful. I've had talks with friends and roommates that have helped me. And in my darkest day this week as I was walking across campus, the Spirit reminded me that I was doing something very important and that opposition always comes but that I am not left alone in my struggle. Heavenly Father is always there for me, leading me even when I can't see. the Spirit also brought back the positive confirmation and feelings that I had when I was first making this decision and helped me to remember why I'm making my choice. 

My prayer wasn't answered all at once but it was answered. And a large part of that answer was a reminder that opposition and difficulties arise when we are trying to do something good. As Paul said, "For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries" (1 Cor 16:9). But despite the opposition and the adversaries in our way, it is crucial that we remember that they are only there because of the incredible opportunity ahead of us. So when everything seems to be against you, remember what is good and remember that God will never desert you.

Forum 5B-Changing Through Christ

It occurs to me again and again that the purpose of Christ's gospel is to change us. Just believing in Him is not enough and just doing good deeds is not enough. Being a good person is not enough because we need to be a Christ-like person. To those who say that we only need to believe to be saved, what good is believing if it doesn't change anything about you? To those who believe that good works are enough, they are not. You r works may be good but they are not going to be enough to make you into someone like Christ. In order to be saved, you must go to Christ and let Him change you and in order to do that, you have to believe.

The point of believing and the point of doing to to be changed. Letting Christ change you makes you a better person, makes you into the best kind of person. And that leads you to want to do good deeds because they are a part of who you have become. The paradoxical thing about good works is that they lead you to Chirst but they do not end when you believe. Instead, they increase, which in turn brings you closer to Christ, which leads to more good words, all because of the person that you are becoming and the person that you are following.

Yes, belief saves you, but only when that belief brings you to act as Christ does. Belief only saves you when it brings you closer to Christ and causes you to imitate Him. Belief only saves you when that belief is enough to bring you to open up and become more Christ-like. Belief is the foundation of salvation but it is only the beginning step. Salvation comes through Christ because He paid our price with His infinite Atonement and because He is also our perfect example.

Does your belief truly save you? I suggest that is only does if changes in your behavior result from your belief. If change does not occur, then you are saved in the sense that Christ has paid for you but you are not using His Atonement as fully as it was intended to be used and you are not living up to your potential. True belief changes attitudes and changes actions. It is who you become as a result of your actions by virtue of your belief in Christ that saves you. It is not that you save yourself, is is that you let Christ in to the fullest and you let His Atonement change you. It is truly Christ that saves us, has saved us, for we "are bought with a price" and it is Christ who has payed (1 Corinthians 6:20).

Intro to Pinterest Myths: Buried Alive!

Look, I like Pinterest as much as the next girl. I think it's useful for saving all those links that I used to have to put in word docs to find later (only to go back through and have no idea what they were for) or those pictures that you want to save for some reason but that you don't want to print (because then what do you do with them?) and you can't leave up on your browser permanently.

What I do not appreciate about Pinterest (although in all fairness, it's kind of the internet at large) is the way that it PERPETUATES THE MOST RIDICULOUS MYTHS. Some less ridiculous ones as well, but really, some of the things that I've read. You've probably seen some of them too. Some of them annoy me enough or are to the point of being dangerous or are even just plain funny enough for me to write about them. So here we go: the very first "Pinterest Mythbusting" letter!

I'd like to start with a personal favorite:

Link to Pinterest source

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the exact original source, so I did a search via Pinterest and chose the first pin that included it.

First off, is being buried alive becoming common enough that we have to worry about it? And have tips for it's eventuality? Maybe this is a phenomena that I'm just not aware of....

Second, they don't specify whether or not you're in a coffin while you're being buried alive. I mean, as it relates to the advice, I'm not really sure it makes a difference, but I'd think that the survival tips for each situation would have to be different.

Third, besides keeping dirt and dust out of your nose and mouth (P.S. Isn't your mouth part of your face? Perhaps this advice is meant for a non-human species?) and maybe eyes if you're lucky, what else is it going to do exactly? How is that going to keep you from suffocating? If you're in a coffin, it seems kind of pointless to have a shirt over your face and if you're just being buried under dirt, I don't think the shirt would be all that effective against the pressure of the dirt bearing down.

Fourth, I'd imagine that if you're being buried alive, you are not a willing participant. Assuming you're in a coffin (always the first assumption as it seems like it would be more inconspicuous), I would think it would be rather difficult to do as they suggest, that is, to remove your shirt and then tie it over your face. I'd think you'd be a bit crowded. Assuming you're just having dirt heaped on you, I would also assume that your hands are tied because who's just going to lay down and let someone shovel dirt on top of you? (Okay, maybe a long-suffering parent of a small child but I really don't think that counts as being buried alive, at least not as much as relates to this advice. Although come to think of it, this might be the only situation for which this advice is useful). So assuming that your arms are tied, how exactly are you going to take off your shirt off...? If someone could manage to take their shirt off and tie it around their face, all while being buried alive....my hat off to you, sir (or madame)! I would be very impressed indeed! Again, maybe this advice isn't intended for humans.

So in conclusion, I hope no one has taken this advice seriously because in the strange event that you do, in fact, find yourself being buried alive, I really doubt that this advice would be of any use (to anyone human). I hope that you also see that not everything is quite as useful as it seems to be. I also hoped you laughed. A lot. I know I did. And please, avoid being buried alive if you can.

Forum 4B-C.P.P.E. (Challenging Personal Prayer Experiences)

There are a lot of times when I am seeking answers from God that the answers don't come easily. Sometimes I do get an answer right away but it seems to be more often something that takes time. One of the most patience-trying (but also one of the most faith-building) experiences is when I ask for direction and my answer is "not that way".

Well that's great. That eliminates one way. But what about the other ways? There are a lot of them. I've crossed off one....but what about the others?

God not only gives us direction, he also has given us agency, the ability to choose. So He also gives us practice in making our own choices. But He won't let us go wrong (or at least not for long) without redirecting us. As Paul and others went on missions, they started preaching the Gospel message in foreign lands. There were times where they'd be directed by the Spirit to avoid where they were going. Then when they made their next decision, they were told "No" on that one two. But they didn't give up. Instead, they kept persevering until they were directed to the place where they were supposed to teach. (Acts 16)

Why would God do that? Why wouldn't He just say "Go here" or "You're needed in this city"? I really love what Jeffery R. Holland said in one of his talks. To paraphrase, he told the story of being out in an unfamiliar place with his son. When they came to a fork in the road, they didn't know which way to go. They said a prayer and received an answer to go one way. But when they continued that road, they found it was a dead-end. They retraced their steps and continued down the other road to find that that one was the correct one and took them where they wanted to go. Elder Holland's son asked why God would have led them down the wrong road.

Elder Holland's inspired answer was that sometimes, God lets us go down the wrong road for a while so that when we finally do make it to the right road, we have absolute confidence that we are where we are supposed to be. So maybe, when revelation isn't coming easily or is only coming in spurts, it's not a sign that you're failing. Maybe it's a chance for you to exercise your ability to choose and trust that God will direct you where you're supposed to go, even it sometimes seems like you're going the wrong direction or even in circles.

Dealing with "Dope" and Other Slang-isms

I've been told that I speak like an English major, meaning that I frequently use big words. Guess that means I chose my major wisely. I've also told that I speak very properly. Uh, I guess. I talk like I think so I really don't notice a big difference in the way I speak compared to how everyone else does. I mean, I don't use slang as much but that's not so much because I want to sound proper as much as because I object to some of the slang words specifically.

Let's take "dope" as an example. The first time I was introduced to this very charming word, it was slang for some sort of (illegal) drug or another. I really didn't care to learn the specifics. The next time I heard it, "dope" was being used as a synonym for "cool". Um, what?

Pardon my naivety, but I was under the impression that the abuse of controlled substances was very much not-cool. Maybe I'm just terribly old-fashioned (I've been told that too) but equating something like a drug (did I mention it's illegal?) with the idea of something good, cool, great, awesome, etc. is rather...dopey. (Pun intended-and not with the connotation of cool either. Or the endearingness of Disney's seventh dwarf)

Maybe I'm just pretentious and whatnot but you won't catch me using "dope" as an adjective to mean anything positive. Call me crazy, but I'd think that it'd mean just the opposite....

Use it how you want. Although people assume that since I'm an English major, I'm automatically uptight about other people's use of language, I really don't care all that much. Only sometimes, I wonder if people actually think about the words that they use and what they mean. I mean, words actually mean something and have implied meanings as well... Like I said, use it however you want. But do me a favor and think through what you're actually communicating and decide if that's still something you want to say. If it is, good for you. You use that word! But if not, maybe you'll find that something else fills that space even better.

This probably will not be the only poor, misused word that I end up writing about. You have been warned, dear reader(s?).

Fluff and Cathedrals

Words are a great disguise. We've all fluffed our way through a writing assignment, trying to get the words we put on paper to say something eloquent when we haven't actually figured out what we're writing about.

As much as I dislike having to use it, I love fluff. There's something kinda fun about fitting your words together in the pattern of a stained-glass window so that your reader stands entranced by the multi-colored lights and doesn't realize that they're only in a small building with three walls instead of a magnificent cathedral.

Sort of like this post.

Forum 3B-Road Maps and Prayers

"Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world" Acts 15: 18

There are so many times where I feel lost. I just don't know what's going on, what's going to happen, or what to do. It's a very frightening feeling, in my opinion, even more frightening than the feeling of actually being physically lost. At least then you can make plans. But when you're lost in your own life, you can't really make plans because you have nothing to base your plans on.

As a child, you think that adults have all the answers. They all seem so confident. Even when they told you they didn't know the answer to something, you were so sure that they did know but that they just weren't thinking hard enough about it. It's been scary to realize that really, adults don't have all the answers. In fact, sometimes they just make them up! Makes me feel kinda cheated. I mean, I'm getting close(r) to being an adult and I thought once I was one, I'd suddenly know what I was doing. It's pretty disappointing to find out that it doesn't work that way.

But that very disappointment is what makes believing and knowing that God exists so comforting. Here is someone, finally, who knows what's going on. In fact, He's even directing it! It could be tempting to blame Him for the hard things that happen just as much as we are grateful for our blessings but really, how silly would that be? I don't just believe in God, I believe that He is a benevolent, loving, kind Father. Just like our dads here make us do things we don't like that are good for us, God gives us challenges that help us in ways we might not always be able to see. But He can.

And that's one of the things that's so wonderful about having a personal relationship with God. When I realize that I'm lost again, when I can't see any way out, I can throw my hands up and say "Lord, I don't know how anything could possibly work in all of this. I don't see any way this could be good. I have no idea what I'm doing. But I know you do. So I'll keep going but I'm going to have to keep asking you for directions. I know you know where I am and where I should go, so I'll trust you and I'll keep going wherever it is you're sending me". I can turn my troubles over to the Lord and know that He'll guide me and help me sort them out.

I seem to do this an awful lot, this whole getting lost thing. But that's okay. It's teaching me to trust. And I know I couldn't be in better hands.

Forum 2B-Walking the Plank

Sometimes, we are inspired to do something that doesn't make any sense to us. Maybe it scares us. Maybe it goes against our logic. Maybe it's something that you wouldn't normally do. Maybe it's something that goes against your traditions. But if it's inspired by God, we're supposed to do it, right?

Why would He ask us to so something that doesn't make sense to us? Why wouldn't He explain it first? Why, just why?

Sometimes, our traditions or our way of thinking about things isn't right and so our perspective needs to shift. Sometimes, it's to teach us a lesson. Sometimes, it's to push us out of our comfort zone. Sometimes, it's so that we have an opportunity to grow. Sometimes, it's so that we remember to exercise our faith and trust in the Lord. 

Whatever the reason is, it's bound to be a good one. God never gives us a task just so He can watch us squirm in discomfort. Whatever the reason is, it's going to benefit us to listen. 

Sometimes, you have to "get them down and go with them, doubting nothing" (Acts 10:20) . Sometimes you have take a breath, let go of your fears, and walk into the shadows. Sometimes, it feels like you're walking to the the end of the plank. Sometimes the only thing you have left is desperate trust. Sometimes you even have to shut your eyes and let your faith lead you.

But those are the times you can learn the most. Those are the times, when the limits of your trust in God are tested that you establish a stronger relationship with your Father. Those are the times where you become better than you were, someone stronger and more courageous. Those are the times when God is teaching you if you're willing to listen.

Forum 1B-Leaping for Joy

"And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God" -Acts 3:8

Acts records the story of a man who had been lame since birth. Every day, he would beg for alms outside of the temple walls.

Let's stop and consider his situation for a moment. We'll start with the obvious: he's lame. That must have been difficult. Growing up, he wouldn't have been able to play like other children and as an adult, he was not able to provide for himself. Instead, he must rely on the generosity of others just to be able to eat. That must sting his pride. In addition, according to Jewish tradition, physical infirmities were the result of sin, either of the person or their parents. So many, if not the majority, of the people passing by would have judged him harshly, assuming that sin was the root of his problems. The man was sitting outside of the temple. We don't know for sure, but it is possible that he would not have been allowed inside. As such, he would have been even more of an outcast, unable to perform the basic duties required of every adherent Jewish man.

And yet, after he was miraculously healed by Peter and John, his reaction was not a sense of entitlement or "it's about time" or any thing even close. His reaction was to leap about (I imagine in great joy) praising God. While I imagine that the man took the time to thank the apostles, the man recognized the true source of his healing and thanked God immediately. For the first time in his entire life, this man was able to walk, and run, and jump and I can only imagine the gratitude that he felt to be healed.

We all know that we should be grateful. Studies have shown that it benefits you, we all get taught to show thanks as part of being polite, and we know how good it feels when someone show gratitude towards us. What I learned from this story is not simply to be grateful, but to be joyous and not to dwell on the trials that came before the blessings. God doesn't just want us to be happy, he wants us to have joy. Sometimes that means that we have to endure hard times in order to reach our blessings but they come nevertheless. So when the challenges are lifted, be happy, but also let yourself be filled with joy. Sure, trials will come again, but let's not forget to be joyous in the meantime.

I See The Stars

I was struck by SPI (Sudden Poem Inspiration) and this was the result.

I See The Stars

I am a star
burning, flaming, eternal power.
I am an angel
glorious, sublime, and luminous.
I am a sun
and a creature of light.
I am power
and brilliance.
I am life
and intelligence.


I sleep
bound to this mortal frame
Waiting for the day
I am called home
to wait for the day when
I am slipped back together
melding, my body and I,
releasing the star inside
and exalting the angel,
brightening the sun,
expanding the power,
and bringing new life.


I am a star and an angel and a sun.
I am power and life.
I hold all this inside,
sleeping.
I see the stars in others
and know them for what they are.