Compliments

Sister Bonnie Parkin (leader of my church's women's organization) once said "Never suppress a generous thought."
Most people take this to mean that you never know when what you say or do saves someone's life. Maybe that is a bit dramatic but sometimes a simple smile turns a day around.
But you know what...people still need these generous thoughts even when they are having a good day, a great day even.
I take this quote to cover all types of brightening someone's day. Smiles, service, kind words, a listening ear, a favor, and compliments.

I have been blessed with some excellent liars in my life. They always tell me I look great even when I may not. Then they are very convincing as they assure me they are not lying.
I have had a pretty good day today. Got to hang with my brother who is down from Idaho, got to see my second family and hang out with awesome people from the ward. I was not really in need of any cheering up.
And then I got on Facebook as I was getting ready for bed...and I saw a message pop up from a friend from my ward. He took time to send me a message telling me how nice he thought I smelled today (Forever Sunshine, Bath and Body Works...current favorite scent due to the serious lack of sunshine we are experiecing). He had mentioned it earlier in the night when we had been at the same party, but it was so sweet of him to mention it again.
Even though I didn't NEED the compliment---it was nice to get it.
So never suppress a compliment. If you think someone looks good in green..tell them. If you think they are really good at ______ tell them!!! Tell them Tell them Tell them!!!!!!! Even if they don't need it---its really nice to hear :)

Conflicted?

This semester has been CRAZY insane! All my classes matter and require work and attention. But despite this I am taking some of my favorite classes I have ever taken here on campus.
One of these classes is my Moral Development class. Seriously this is a major cardio workout for my brain three days a week. I leave with my world turned upside down, not knowing which way is up and which is down.
I have always considered myself to be comfortable with shades of grey. I believe that there are some absolute universal truths. But that doesn't mean that I do not consider myself a relativist. And that is where the conflict lies. How far do I take my "this is wrong no matter what" and how far do I take my "they have agency and I cannot force my beliefs on others".
There is so much conflict...how does one stand up for their beliefs without seeming cold, callous, or judgemental? At the risk of alienating a dear friend or two.....I shall give an example. I believe marriage is ordained of God and should be between one man and one women. This means that I am against policies supporting gay marriage. And as I say this my heart sinks knowing that someone might misunderstand me. But please listen. This is the universal absolute truth that I believe in. However--this does not mean that I hold an hatred or distaste for those who believe differently from me. I respect your right to determine your absolute truths for yourself. Do I seem unforgiving or terrible? I surely hope not. I love all people no matter who they are. No matter, what all people are children of a loving Heavenly Father and are my spiritual brothers and sisters.
Its hard to deal with some of these difficult questions and there have been many times when I have left this class, turned my head upward and offered a silent prayer of the heart---pleading for love and tolerance as well as strength and conviction...really for more faith to know that there is a plan and all these complex problems will be solved someday by an omnipotent, omniscent and infinately loving God.

Interestingly enough...this was not the post I had planned on writing. And now I have rambled for forever. But this is what I have written...so post I will. Maybe some other day I will post what I originally had been thinking of.

Why I Love Families...especially my own!

For those of you who are not "Mormons" in places were the is a large population of single members of the church there are specific congregations for those single adults. This is kind of a way for them to associate with those who are in the same time of life as them and create friendships...and lets be totally honest...create friendships that lead to relationships that lead to marriage :)
Anyway this is the type of congregation (we call them wards) I go to now. But today I decided to mix it up. For various reasons I needed a break from the singles scene but still wanted to attend church. So I went to a family ward...located conveniently across the street from my apartment (yes I do think it is INSANE that I normally walk 10 minutes up a huge flight of stairs to get to my normal ward when it take 30 seconds to get to the one RIGHT across the street......side note in my old apartment 2 years ago...I could roll out my window and be in a church parking lot...can't get much closer than that....but still a 10 minute walk!)
So I popped across the street for church. There is a strange phenomenon in family wards....they are not quiet at all!!!! Crying, whimpering, rustling etc. Its all there. Singles wards are disturbingly quiet. A room full of 170 young adults should not be that quiet..its unnatural!!!!
Some say they love the quiet of a singles ward but I love the noise of a family ward. Its comforting. Its flawed. Its real and honest. People aren't perfect and I kinda like being reminded of that. It helps me know that I don't have to be either.
I also got to visit my aunt, uncle and cousins in Orem today. My "family of origin"...family studies speak for my parents and siblings...is AMAZING!!!!! They are the best family a girl could have. And I miss them tons all the time. But I have had the amazing blessing of gaining a second amazing family since I have been out here in Utah. My mother's sister and her husband and children have pulled me into their family of 9 and made me a 10th. And tonight was no different. I needed a recharge...and they made it happen.
There is a reason I am studying what I do. Families are essential. We need them and we need to protect them-both from the inside and the outside.

Funny moment of the day: So seriously How To Train Your Dragon...best movie EVER!!!! Favorite line???? Try lines!!!
"Thank you for summing that up!"
"You just gestured to all of me."
"Oh I am hurt. I am very much hurt!"
"Today is about survival. If you get blasted, you're dead. Quick! What's the first thing you're going to need? A doctor? "
"Most people would leave, but not us. We're Vikings. We have stubbornness issues."
"Duh Duh Duh Dum...we're dead"
But the BEST of all??
"Whoa! Toothless! What is wrong with you? Bad dragon! He-he's not usually like this... Oh, no... Toothless, what are you doing? We need her to like us! And now the spinning. Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile. "

Times They Truly Are A-Changin'

So I would like everyone to notice the time of this post....Yes my friends it is before 8 o'clock. IT IS STILL DARK!!!!!!! No one should be awake before the sun..and don't try to tell me that the sun is awake on the east coast...I don't care if it is 9 in New York...it is NOT here :)

Anyone who knows me well...or has ever lived with me...knows that calling me "not a morning person" is the understatement of the century! Up there with Mount Everest only being a hill! Then why you may ask am I up this early? Well to tell you the truth I have actually be up for 2 and a half hours!!!! Yes that is before I got up for seminary most days! 5:00 was the time of the alarm (well actually I apparently never set it for that time like I thought I did last night which provides another point of amazement casue I got up without an alarm!).

But I am not cranky about being awake right now. This morning I rolled out of bed, put on a dress and braided my hair, and was out of the door to my roommates heated seats (BEST INVENTION EVER BY THE WAY!!! that is after indoor plumbing). We drove about 5 minutes to a place of pure peace.

After that drive this is what we saw. I know a lot of people knock on the Provo Temple for being kinda ugly. And I know its not DC or St Louis..or Salt Lake or San Diego, but you have to admit that when it is all lit up at night, it is a really pretty sight.

So I am changing...or evolving not sure which one :). I am up at 5:00 and not cranky about it.

For dinner last night...I had carrotts. I have never really liked carrotts, but a little while ago I had a carrott craving and have them all the time now (granted I cover them with butter and brown sugar which is sooooo G double o D good but totally nulifies any health benefits of eating carrotts).

Also a couple of weeks ago, mac and cheese was on sale for 33 cents a box WHOA! And I bought like 15 boxes! And I am half way done with them! Yes ladies and gents THIS Stephanie now eats mac and cheese. I may have been one of the only children ever to not like mac and cheese growing up. But I didn't. Then I started volunteering. Wednesday nights I am usually there at dinner time. The normal Wednesday meal along with a random fruit and vegetable, Mac n Cheese and Chicken Nuggets. After a few weeks of watching and helping the kids eat but not eating with them built up a serious craving. (I am very prone to cravings....I am like a pregnant women without being pregnant...think what I will be like when I am pregnant!!!!!!!!!) Anyway, one Wednesday my craving hit maximum levels and I stopped at the little grocery store on the corner and bought myself a yummy box of Mac 'n Cheese..and enjoyed EVERY last bite.

Evolving or changing not sure...but its one of the two :)

Favorite moment of sillyness today (one of many I hope)

I dressed up like a goth person for Halloween last weekend and therefore painted my nails black. I totally spaced that they still were as I went to the temple this morning until I was standing about to perform an ordinance (for those not of my faith, we attend the temple to perform important and vital ordinances and ceremonies for ourselves and those who have passed away without being able to do them for themselves..let me know if you have any questions ;) ) The man officiating noticed and mentioned he liked my nails :) (ps this guy was at least 60..the super cute grandpa type). After we finished he shook my hand and thanked me, and then very firmly thanked me again for coming. I think my nails gave this dear old man the idea that I possibly am not super firmly on the straight and narrow...and he was thrilled that I was still attending the temple, despite my likely rebellion. Don't worry! I am strong in my testimony and just like black nails!!!! Gotta love those sweet old people. They are so loving! And funny :)

Turtles.....

So today in my moral development class (FAVORITE class ps...really makes me think!) we discussed the influence of peers on adolescent's moral development. Do they have a negative impact or a positive one? Are they more important than parents? We came to the conclusion that there isn't one answer (pretty much what we decide at the end of every class hahaha). Parents and peers have an equal but different effect on moral development and peers can help increase moral behavior and also very easily decrease it! My professor is awesome (prolly my favorite ever at BYU) and always likes to apply our discussion to us at the end of class. Often it is implications for our future parenting or applications to the Gospel. But today she showed us this clip as a final thought......



WOW!!!!! First let me say I have never found turtles to be very cute....they kinda smell funny to be totally honest. But as I watched this clip I couldn't help but cheer them on and think it was one of the cutest things I had EVER seen!!! The clip my professor played in class had the song Lean on Me playing in the background and as I listened to it I thought of all the many friends who have turned me over in my life.
Remember that crisis I had last Sunday? Well I had another one this Sunday (odd pattern) but this time it was at 11:30 my time so calling my rocks (aka my sleeping parents) would not have been good...nor particularly helpful. But I had some great substitutes in my roommates and neighbors. They listened and helped me figure everything out.
I have had so many amazing friends in my life.....I kinda want to list them off but I am sure I will miss someone......but......
THANKS to my PCHS friends who helped me through AP/honors classes and were always supportive and understanding of my beliefs...Emmeline, Jenni, Susan, Allison, Lauren, Michelle, Stephanie
Swing choir kids who literally got me through high school!!....Caryn and Kelsey
Frontenac girls who have known me since...well forever...Clarissa, Lara, Katy, Kat, Kate, Liz
The awesome guys from Freshman year...Scotty, Pookie, JJ
My SISTERS from Taylor 3200 who got me through the hardest times of my life!!!! ... my Kennababe, Adrianne, Jess, Jessie, Tricia, Amy, Berkeley, Leah, MJ, Carley-poo, Sarah Dawn, Sarah, Rachael and Tamara
EVERY MEMBER OF THE 92nd WARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You guys know who you are!!!!!!!! You have made my life exciting and AMAZING. You always lift me up when I need it...if I listed all of you this post would NEVER end haha
My Visiting Teachers, past and present who have never failed to actually mean the question "is there anything we can do for you?"
My AMAZING roommates Andrea and Jessica....who deal with my psychoness and other odd quarks and always are there for me.
And finally my bestest eternal friends my family.
So that was way too long but lets just end with this......which turtle are you? Are you the one on your back or are you walking around? If you are doing ok...find a friend who isn't and be there turtle friend :)