life in color

DAY 17 - Jesus cared His mother and so can you. I wrote a tribute for my wonderful parents back on  Day 2 but Day 17 also focuses on mothers. I could rant about my mother all day long, but I'll keep it short for today and instead share a picture of her at our wedding reception: Isn't she beautiful?! I look nothing like her, but I think I inherited a lot of her best qualities (except for the headaches... I could have passed on those.) She was a rockstar in helping me plan our wedding reception. It was absolutely perfect, and I'll cherish those memories forever. The best part of the whole day was the reassurance that families are forever. Heaven definitely wouldn't be heaven without this woman. But I also gained another mother that day. This is Kimberly (who apparently also looks adorable while restocking otter pops): From the very first moment I met Kimberly, I felt her love. She is busy with seven kids, a dog, three cats, chickens, ducks, and goats, ...

DAY 7 - Jesus fed the hungry and so can you. Last April I went to my very first Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) meeting: a service activity at the local food bank. For a couple hours, we organized and cleaned the food pantry and assembled nutrition kits for kids to have food on the weekends.  I fell in love. I loved the mission and the atmosphere of Community Action Services & Food Bank. I emailed the communications director to see if there were volunteer opportunities available for me, and they welcomed me with open arms. From May to August, I went in once or twice a week to help out. My tasks were small and seemingly insignificant - entering volunteer contact information in a database and writing thank you's to donors - but I know that they made a difference. Day 7 reminds us of when Christ fed the multitude with only five loaves of bread and two fishes. (See Matthew 14:13-21 or watch the following video.) Likewise, my couple hours...

DAY 11 - Jesus ministered to children and so can you. Not having children myself, I can't tell you if I have had an impact on a child. I've babysat and directed children's theater. I've taught the children at church. I've played games and sang songs with my niece and nephew and cousins. But I don't know if I have left a lasting impact on any one of them. However, I could tell you about plenty of times that a child has had an impact on me.  This past week was crazy (hence my lack of blog posts). I had a group presentation, final papers, and six tests to take. In the midst of my academic overload, my computer completely quit working. In addition, the current burdens of my friends and family members weighed on my heart. It was a week of stress, tears, and restless nights. On Friday night, I took a break from my studies to babysit my niece and nephew. The experience could have added to my stress when the BluRay player didn't work, when an entire b...

DAY 3 - Jesus helped others to see and so can you When I saw the theme for Day 3, the first thing that came to my mind was the lyrics to the traditional Christian hymn  " Amazing Grace:" Amazing grace How sweet the sounds That saved a wretch like me I once was lost  But now am found Was blind but now I see  At times, we get blinded by the vanities of the world, but Christ helps us regain perspective. At times, we get blinded by our own weaknesses, but Christ shows us our individual worth. I listened to multiple versions of "Amazing Grace" trying to find my favorite. I love BYU Noteworthy (and I know the vocal percussionist!), so I chose to share their version today. https://www.mormon.org/christmas/in-25-ways-over-25-days/jesus-helped-others-to-see DAY 4 - Jesus worshipped His Father and so can you. worship verb /   wor·ship /  wər-shəp   Definition: to honor or reverence as a divine being In high school, betwe...

December has arrived. With it come paper snowflakes, twinkling lights, and wrapped gifts. This is my favorite time of year. While it can be busy and stressful with final exams, shopping, and traveling, the Christmas season is a time for family, giving, and reflection on the past year. I am grateful for the #LIGHTtheWORLD initiative that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has implemented this December. After a seemingly tumultuous year, the world needs a little positivity and love. For 25 days, thousands of generous people worldwide will engage in 25 acts of service to spread the light of Christ. My husband and I are participating, and I would like to share my thoughts and experiences with you. I can't promise that I will post every day (actually, don't count on it since finals start next week), but I will try my best. I can't do much, but I do believe that my simple blog posts do spread a little light. DAY 1 - Jesus lifted others' burdens and so can...

I spent a year and a half without access to the Internet, the news, or any type of media. The only major events I even heard about were the ebola scare and the attacks in Paris. While on my mission, I saw the effects of poverty, immigration, and other hardships, but I was blind to the anger, hate, and intolerance that now fills the news and my newsfeed. I choose to believe that people are inherently good; sometimes we just lose sight of that. I do not believe that the problems of the world will go away no matter who is president, no matter what laws are passed, etc. I believe that it begins in our own hearts as we make the decision to love. I wrote this a few months ago and forgot all about it until now, and I wanted to share: It's true: We have a lot of differences. Race, religion, political affiliation-- Just to name a few. But overall, We are the same. You laugh and cry like me. When we get to heaven, I hope we laugh together About the "issue...

School has started up again, and free time for creativity is nonexistent. However, my busy schedule inspired today's thoughts, and I really wanted to write about it. So here it goes: On Thursday, I woke up with a sore throat but shrugged it off and got ready like normal. I washed my hair, picked out an outfit, dropped off my husband at class, and headed to work. The longer I sat at my desk, the worse I felt. By the end of my shift, I knew I needed to go home. I swallowed my pride and put away my to-do list. Instead of going to class, I spent the day cuddled up on my couch watching Netflix and napping. At one point, though, I started to cry. Not because a sore throat and a headache are devastatingly painful, but because I wanted to be living my normal schedule. I wanted to get back to my busy life of taking 15 credits, working part-time, planning a 5K, going to club meetings and church activities, maintaining my own household, attempting to have a social life AND a hot bod, and ...

I have never been an avid TV watcher. I grew up watching PBS Kids after school and then graduated to "Full House" and "Gilmore Girls" reruns when I got a little older, but I never had a TV show that became my show . I never waited in agony for the next episode or season to come out or read fan theories on the internet. In high school, I spent many conversations in silence as my friends raved over their favorite TV shows. College was even worse. My classmates barely had time to sleep, yet they found time to binge-watch Netflix. And I would just sit quietly, listening to their rants about shows I had never seen. If some kind soul did try to include me in the conversation, I would just shrug and say, "Movies are better." And I truly believed that. I could enjoy an entire story--the exposition, the conflict, the climax, and the resolution--in two hours or less. If a plot was intense or nerve-wracking, I only had to stress about it for a little while instead ...

Almost three years ago I started this blog for one of my college classes. I thought the class would help me improve my writing through grammar exercises, peer editing, and never-ending assigned readings. While I did become a better writer, I also became a better person. My professor focused the entire class on refugees. We had our eyes opened to the world, to past and present hardships. We were taught how to make a difference not only through our writing but through our actions. That class changed me. Since then, I have served an 18-month mission trip for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since then, I have volunteered regularly for the local food bank. Since then, I have helped plan a race and culture fair that will donate all proceeds to refugees. Three years is a long time, and I have had many beautiful experiences. I have written most of them down in Word documents, journals, and notes on my phone. But I think it's time to share them with you. I debated start...