Finals, Finances, and Fire Alarms

So you would think that this week would be kind of crazy and somewhat stressful because of finals.  Au contraire, since Monday, things have been practically spectacular!  Each day has started out kind of rocky with an extended stay at work, but ended up being absolutely stellar! 

Marvelous Monday
So Monday started early with Gail and I walking to campus at about 5:45 am.  Yeah, super duper early.  I proceeded to being a long work day that lasted from 6:15-3:00.  Work wasn't particularly bad; it was just long.  (And at some point, you do get annoyed by the rudeness of some people.)  So after work was over, I went to take my third of four finals for one of more questionable classes.  I knew if I had studied enough, then I would do well.  If I hadn't, then I would do okay, just not as well as I would have liked.  And I was thinking I would get a high c, maybe a low b.  I would be totally cool with that.  My actual score: 89!!!  I practically skipped all the way home :)

Terrific Tuesday
Tuesday started early again (though not quite as early as Monday) with another long work shift from 8-5. (Again, the longer you work, the more irritated you get)  So after work, I met with my study buddy for stats to study for our final, which I planned on taking that night.  Since I had just got off work, I checked my email before we started and found a message from the Financial Aid Office, saying they had distributed scholarships and to check Route Y (BYU website for students) for awards.  (Keep in mind that last semester I received no scholarships at all.  None, nada, zilch.)  I wasn't expecting anything, but decided to check Route Y anyway.  I checked . .  and I will be receiving a $1000 scholarship!!!!! :D  I was super duper happy!!!!!  Such a blessing from Christ!!!
And then I studied with my buddy and went to take the test.  I was thinking I was going to get a solid C.  Not a b and certainly not an a.  And at this point, I would have just been glad to pass stats.  I'm so tired of it and ready to be done.  So I took the test and spent twice amount of time I normally do on any type of test.  ANd my score . . . 89!!!!!!  The highest I've ever got on any stats test!!!  Yay me!!!  :D

Wonderful Wednesday
Just like the past two days, today started pretty early with a shift from 6:45-3.  I was actually running a little late, and somewhat freaking out, but when I got to the Wilkinson Center (where I work), the fire alarm was going off and apparently had been for about twenty minutes.  Saved by the bell!!  er . . . the fire alarm . . .  No more finals to finish, and only one more day of work before the new schedule starts.  After work today, my boss wanted to talk to me.  I am now the Crew Supervisor at L&T Salad and Soup!!!!  Yay!!!!  I am so excited!!!!! :D
Then, since today was my roommate's last full day in Utah until fall semester, we went to DI and the mall and had a grand old time. :)

Life is great and full of opportunities.  Don't take them for advantage. ;)

"I Am the Gardner and I Know What I Want You to Be."

So who enjoyed conference this weekend?!  SOOO good!!!!  I learned so much and am so much more prepared to face the real world (which comes sooner than you think!)

I was especially touched by Elder Christofferson's talk on Sunday.  He talked about a gardener and seeing this wild, rampant bush.  So the gardener went out into the garden and cut back the bush and it was almost like he could hear the bush saying "Why are you cutting me back?  I was doing so well and I was flourishing and growing!  If you had just let me keep growing, I would've been the biggest plant ever!  Why did you cut me back?!"  And he replied, "I am the gardener and I know what I want you to be.  One day, you'll thank me."  Our interaction with God is the same thing. 

Sometimes, God "cuts us back" and we don't understand why.  We may fail to receive a promotion which we have worked incredibly hard for; we may not got accepted to our school of choice; we may not win an election for some type of position of authority.  Whatever the case may be, it seems as if we would have flourished and grown and been better off if we had been able to receive that promotion or been accepted rather than rejected.  Then we shake our fists towards the heavens saying, "Why did you cut me back?!  I was doing so well!!  I would have flourished!!  Why?!"  And then we have to remember that God is the gardener.  God knows exactly what he wants us to be and he knows exactly what is best for us.  He is, after all, the creator and grand master of the Plan of Salvation.  He knows precisely what needs to happen in order for things to pan out the way they are supposed to.

Call me crazy, call me sick with Provo fever, call me desperate, call me whatever you desire, but I will admit that I seriously want a "significant other."  Someone to love, to hold, to just be there when I need him.  (I think I am validated in this considering I have never had a real boyfriend, and I am in Provo, UT where there are currently 11 engaged couples in my ward [as of the last count].) This scenario described above has happened to me, where I shake my fists at the heaven and just constantly question why.  He was so perfect!  Why couldn't it have worked out?  He is such an amazing guy!  Why couldn't I have had just one date?  I really needed someone with his understanding.  Why did he have to leave now?  The question are endless.  I have asked Heavenly Father several times in my fervent prayers to help me understand this mystery, to give me a valid reason why this should be happening to me.  The answer came in the form of General Conference.  "I am the gardener and I know what I want you to be.  You will thank me later." 

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart and lean not unto thine own understanding.  Be content with what you're given and know that it will all work out.  Heavenly Father doesn't want us to fail, so as long as we follow him, fail, we shall not.

Seeing Through the Rain

So I realized today that I haven't blogged in a while, so here we go!!

(This actually happened last Thursday)

So I started the day like any other Thursday: Book of Mormon Second Half at 9 AM.  About halfway through the class, my phone starts vibrating.  At this point two thoughts cross my mind almost simultaneously: 1) who is calling me at 9:25 in the morning? 2) Please don't be work.  And of course, it was work.  Their request?  Could I come in anytime between 9:30 and 3 to cover for a sick coworker.  I decided I could come in around 11 after I took my physical science test.  Therefore, I left class and went to take my test . . . and bombed it.  Worst test thus far in my college career.  But with no time to have a pity party, I ran to work and stayed there . . . until 9:30 that night . . . was I exhausted?  Definitely.  Was I completely bummed on the inside?  Without a doubt.  BUT I committed to myself that I was not going to let that effect anything I did.  I smiled to everyone at work, I was friendlier than usual to all the customers, and I was even engaged in pleasurable conversation with my coworkers, the customers, my escort home, and my roommates when I finally got home and got a chance to sit down. 

Sometimes, God lets it rain.  Sometimes we're prepared for the days when it rains with umbrellas, raincoats, and rain boots.  Sometimes, the rain catches us unprepared and off guard.  The question isn't whether or not you're prepared for the rain or how long it lasts.  It's whether you dance or run for cover.  It's whether you jump in the puddles or stay inside.  It's whether or not you believe that the sun is still there.  The rain's going to come, no matter what; the question is how you react to the rain.  God is going to send you trials and bad days; the only way to get past them, is to go through them.  You can go through them with a frown and bring yourself and everyone around you down; Or you can go take everything with a smile and make everyone's day just a little better because they saw you. 

The choice is yours.

Honor of A Different Kind

This week, the BYU Men's Basketball team was shaken by the loss of a fellow teammate, Brandon Davies.  Davies was one of the team's top players, and sure to be a great asset to lead the team to victory in The Mountain West Conference.  As a player, he knew no limits and as a student at BYU, he was bound to 'The Honor Code' which all students have agreed to live by.  Unfortunately for all BYU basketball fans, Davies broke the Honor Code and was dismissed from the team.  This whole event has caused a lot of scrutiny of The Honor Code at BYU., and I wish to discuss it.
What is the Honor Code?
Being a BYU student, I value The Honor Code.  It's what sets BYU apart from all the other universities and colleges in the nation.  Most people equate BYU with members of the LDS faith (aka Mormons), but that's not necessarily true.  Any person from any faith can attend BYU, they simply to follow The Honor Code, just like every other student on campus.  So rather than saying going to BYU must mean you're LDS or soon will be, I say that living by The Honor Code equates with living an LDS lifestyle. 

Whenever someone applies to BYU, they are encouraged to read over The Honor Code and familiarize themselves with the things it contains.  Before they can formally submit their application and be considered for acceptance, everyone must agree to live by The Honor Code.
So, what exactly does it say?
The Honor Code consists of a few main points.  Number one is to live a chaste and virtuous life; no premarital sex.  Number two is to follow the Word of Wisdom; abstain from drugs, alcohol, coffee, and tobacco.  Number three is to be honest in all your dealings with your fellow men; don't lie, cheat, or steal.  Number four is to be clean in dress and grooming; men should be clean shaven, and everyone is modest in dress (i.e, no strapless/sleeveless shirts, no shorts above the knee, no revealing/tight-fitting clothing).
Wow.  Some of that seems pretty tough.  No coffee?  And what's wrong with having sex before you're married so long as you're safe?
Well, maybe some it is tough.  Personally, these are the standards that I and many other members of the LDS faith were raised on.  These are the things which we have been instructed to do/not do by a prophet of God.
This is what makes BYU different.  People don't go and get wasted on the weekends; people don't swear at each other across campus; people don't compromise each other in any kind of intimate way.  This is why people come to BYU.  This is why I wanted to come to BYU; it's so different from any kind of school you've ever been to in your entire life.
This is all great, but what does this have to do with basketball?  It seems kind of irrelevant.
An excellent point and right in time for me to diverge back into my original statements.
Brandon Davies was suspended from the team Tuesday evening after the school found out about an Honor Code violation.  Prior to being suspended from the team . . .
- BYU basketball was ranked number 1 in the Mountain West Conference, with only 1 loss to UNM.
- BYU basketball was ranked number 3 in the entire nation (yes, that's above Duke!).
- Brandon Davies was one of the most valuable players on the team (along with Emery, Abuou, and Fredette).
- Brandon Davies started almost every basketball game.
- Brandon Davies was sure to be a great help in BYU's rematch against New Mexico, the only team in conference that BYU has lost to all season, that upcoming Wednesday.
Winning the Mountain West Conference and making it into The Final Four would be sure to gain BYU honor from the basketball community on all sides.  However, after learning about Davies violation, there was almost no hesitation in the decision to suspend him from the team for the remainder of the season.  They gave up the honor and recognition which BYU would have received had Davies been allowed to remain on the team and help lead the Cougars to a Mountain West victory for another kind of honor.  A different kind of honor was more important to the powers that be.  The honor that comes from living the way we have been taught, no matter what the circumstances brings far greater honor than any other kind of honor we could ever receive.
And that's important no matter how you slice it.
I'm proud to be a BYU student, and I'm proud to Live the Code.

The Best Days

Okay, everyone.  Here's where my "cougar-blood" comes out.


Saturday: BYU and SDSU clashed in an epic battle; prior to the game, BYU was ranked no. 7 in the nation and SDSU was ranked no. 4.  Now, BYU has played SDSU already this season in conference play at the Marriot Center, here in Provo.  It was epic and a phenomenal game!!  BYU didn't beat SDSU; we wiped the floor with them!!  It was one of the best days of my life. (That's not sad- it's dedicated.) On Saturday, BYU traveled to San Diego and we played them again- on their turf.  Supposedly, they had the advantage.  Supposedly, BYU was going to lose.  Supposedly, all faith in The Jimmer had been lost.  The roommate and I, unable to watch the actual game on TV, watched the play-by-play on CBS with baited breath.  Every basket from our boys warranted a cheer!  Every foul on our boys made us all the more anxious.  Half-time saw BYU in the lead, but SDSU close behind.  I was getting really nervous.  The roommate worried with me.  And then, in the second half, it happened.  Our boys put on their game faces and widened the gap between us and them; and won the Clash of the Titans. BYU 80 SDSU 67 
And thus, Saturday became one of the best days of my life.

Sunday:  I've always enjoyed Sundays and attending church here in Provo.  It's always such a great, spiritual experience.  We talked about some really good stuff in Relief Society, in Sunday School, and in Sacrament Meeting.  We also had a fireside that evening on missionary work, which was wonderful!  Prior to the fireside, we, my roommates and I, were asked to bring some kind of refreshment for everyone to enjoy.  So, Selene helped me make my infamous brownies. (and they turned out quite well!) We took the brownies to the fireside and enjoyed said fireside.  Once it was over and everyone was milling around, eating refreshments, we decided we needed to go.  (It was dark and we were walking home and starting to get really cold.) We grabbed our brownie pan, somewhat miffed that there was still a large number of brownies.  Gail does not eat chocolate, so I don't like to have chocolate stuff in the apartment.  Personally, I would rather not have them there at all because them I'll eat them and I don't want that.  So, I asked someone (an anonymous male) if he would enjoy having our leftover brownies.  And what male would ever turn down such a succulent offering?  So, Gail and I took this pan half full of brownies over to the apartment of this anonymous male.  *** Pause!*** I have a confession to make: I like this anonymous male (hereafter referred to as A.M.).  I think he is a really nice guy, he's funny, he's fun to hang out with, he reminds me of my older brother (except smarter), and I think he's very attractive. (I have no qualms about putting this on my blog, because I'm 85% confident that he doesn't read my blog.)  ***Unpause!*** So, A.M. invited us in to his apartment and relieved us of all our brownies (thank goodness).  We sat around and chilled and talked for about two hours.  It was very nice and somewhat relaxing after a very stressful week.  Finally, I bucked up enough courage to do something that had been stressing me for four days.  I asked A.M. to come to our fun-filled apartment date night next Friday.  (Explanation of fun-filled apartment date night: We (mostly Gail and I) decided to each ask a guy (preferably a guy whom who had had our eye on) over to our apartment and proceed to treat them to a wonderfully thrilling and exciting evening.  I, of course, wanted to ask A.M.  And after giving offerings of delicious baked goods, and psyching myself out, I did it.  He said yes! :)
And thus, Sunday became one of the best days of my life.

Monday:  Ahhh, Monday.  Back to the grindstone.  The day started just like any other- physical science at 9 am.  We laughed, we puzzled, we blew things up, and we continued on our way.  I went to work where I heard a phenomenally exciting rumor.  "Hey!  Did you hear that BYU is ranked third in the nation?!"  Say whaaaaaaaaaaaaat????????????????  After leaving work, I had to check.  It was essential to the rest of my day!  I quickly journeyed to stats class and opened the internet on my laptop.  I waited for what seemed like an eternity before I reached www.espn.com!  And then, to my joy and delight, the rumors were confirmed.  Number 3 in the nation: Brigham Young University. 
And thus, Monday became one of the best days of my life.

Going Up the Down Escalator

Yesterday, I had the privilege of participating in one of my favorite activities with some of the most wonderful people in the world; I went shopping at the mall with my roommates!  We had a particularly grand time, and I am especially enjoying my new shoes. 
One of our stops was at Macy's, where there are escalators.  As Selene and I were walking past the down escalator, I saw a little boy walking on the escalator.  It was completely normal except for one thing and at this point, you've probably guessed what he was really doing.  He was walking up the down escalator, doing what every person has wanted to do at least once in their life.  And then, I realized there is a valuable lesson to be learned here and it just happens to in be in concurrence with my view on life! 
This life is like an escalator; sometimes it goes up and sometimes it goes down.  Sometimes it's really crowded and sometimes you're the only one on the ride.  And sometimes people walk up the down escalators.
We've all been on the down escalator at least once in our lives, maybe even more: a loved one passes away, a friend loses a job, it's raining and you forgot your umbrella, you haven't been forgiven for an honest mistake.  Lots of things happen everyday that can potentially carry us down on that down escalator by just going with the flow.  I hate feeling that way.  I hate feeling depressed or angry or sad; it's just not any fun!  And no one wants to be around you when you're in that kind of mood.  So, what's the best way to get rid of that feeling and stop going down?  Go up!!  Even when you're on the down escalator and everything going on around you tells you to just go on down and no one would blame you for being that way (After all, you're escalator is going down!), go against the flow and go up!  There is always, always, always at least one reason to smile and be happy!  Yes, it does a take a certain amount of effort to go up the down escalator.  It does take effort to look past all the negative stuff that Satan is trying to bring you down with and just be happy!  But everyday you do it, it gets easier and easier!  This semester, I have been trying to just be happy no matter what is going on around me.  And guess what?!  It's contagious!  When you're happy, everyone else around you starts to be happy, too!  It's a crazy phenomenon!  Don't you just love being around people who are happy?  I do!!  Even the Lord told us to "be of good cheer!" 
So take this opportunity when you are just relaxing and enjoying your free time to decide how you're going to handle those down escalators.  It's easy to just always go with the flow, for sure.  And there's not anything wrong with going with the flow, rolling with the punches.  But can you challenge yourself?  Can you do it?  for just one week, try to be happy no matter what.  Look for the positive, for something good about your day.  Even when it's hard.  I promise you'll love it!

You're a Log!

Well, we had ward conference today and the stake president spoke.  He compared us all to logs; if you take one out of the campfire, it burns out pretty quickly and it's not very . . . impressive.  But, when you pile a bunch of logs together and set them on fire, they burn brightly and for a good long while.  We are each like logs- on our own, we can't do very much and we don't last very long.  We need each other in order to not only survive, but also thrive in this crazy world!
(Sorry, this entry is super short, but better a short one than not one at all!)