life in color

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...

I had the great opportunity to listen to writer Brian Doyle when he visited BYU on Friday. He shared both his essays and his wisdom. I was blown away by not only his talent as a writer but his uncanny ability to touch those around him. He is a very inspiring man, and I hope you get the chance to someday read his work. I just want to share my favorite quotes by him: "The gift of you is the greatest gift you can give anyone." Out of all the billions of people who have lived before you and that live now and that have yet to be born, there is not one other single person who is just like you. You are unique. God created you differently than everyone else. You have talents and gifts and so much that you can bring to the world. "All moments are pregnant with miracles." Miracles are all around us. Look for them. "There are no small moments." Brian believes that every moment in our lives is significant. The trick is appreciating these moments and understan...

Words truly have power: They can help us to imagine. They can teach us lessons. They can help us to see the world in a different way. And in the case of Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust , they can bring us closer to God. I found Immaculee Ilibagiza's story inspiring from the beginning. She rose above her status as a woman and a Tutsi to pursue her dreams and gain an education. It was while she attended college that fighting broke out in Rwanda. The Hutu people started killing the Tutsis. Immaculee was separated from her family, hiding in the small bathroom of a pastor for over three months, crammed between seven other women.  As violence swept the country, leaving a path of immense destruction, Immaculee found peace. She prayed and discovered God. She developed a strong relationship with Him, trusting in His plan for her. She accepted her fate, knowing that God would welcome her home if she were to die. But she survived the genocide for a purpose. ...

A landmine is “a mine designed to be exploded by the presence, proximity or contact of a person and that will incapacitate, injure or kill one or more persons.” Landmines have caused great destruction around the world, taking limbs and lives. According to Salgado, of those who step on landmines, fifty-percent are killed. Furthermore, eighty-percent of children die instantly as a result of landmines. The African country of Angola gained independence from Portugal in 1975. The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) began a civil war with the rebel group Unita. 300,000 people lost their lives before a peace treaty was signed. However, fighting quickly resumed, and thousands more were killed. In 1994, they attempted peace again, but the war continued. It was not until 2002 that the conflict in Angola finally ended. But the country is still suffering.  Though it has an abundance of oil, Angola remains one of the poorest countries in the world...