Faith

So I guess I don't have anything really to write for myself... so here we go.

faith
  [feyth]
–noun
1.confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2.belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
3.belief in God or in the doctrines or teachings of religion: the firm faith of the Pilgrims.
4.belief in anything, as a code of ethics, standards of merit, etc.: to be of the same faith with someone concerning honesty.
5.a system of religious belief: the Christian faith; the Jewish faith.
6.the obligation of loyalty or fidelity to a person, promise, engagement, etc.: Failure to appear would be breaking faith.
7.the observance of this obligation; fidelity to one's promise, oath, allegiance, etc.: He was the only one who proved his faith during our recent troubles.
8.Christian Theology. the trust in God and in His promises as made through Christ and the Scriptures by which humans are justified or saved.

Hope

hope
  /hoʊp/ Show
noun, verb, hoped, hop⋅ing.

–noun
1. the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best: to give up hope.
2. a particular instance of this feeling: the hope of winning.
3. grounds for this feeling in a particular instance: There is little or no hope of his recovery.
4. a person or thing in which expectations are centered: The medicine was her last hope.
5. something that is hoped for: Her forgiveness is my constant hope.
–verb (used with object)
6. to look forward to with desire and reasonable confidence.
7. to believe, desire, or trust: I hope that my work will be satisfactory.
–verb (used without object)
8. to feel that something desired may happen: We hope for an early spring.
9. Archaic. to place trust; rely (usually fol. by in).
—Idiom
10. hope against hope, to continue to hope, although the outlook does not warrant it: We are hoping against hope for a change in her condition.

Today I am hopeful. Today is a beautiful day. The sun is shining through my window and music is playing softly.

To quote a song: Yes I'm hopeful, hopeful for today :)

First day of school, first day of school!

For many people this seems like a dreaded phrase, but for me I am basically thrilled (Will McLaughlin can attest to this, he got to ride the bus with me this morning and this afternoon- lucky kid). I'm like a toddler in a candy shop.

This summer working 40 hours a week has taught me to appreciate school and my love thereof. So this post is dedicated to my nerdy awkward love of this fine learning establishment and its form will be, of course, a list.

First and foremost I love the bus. I don't know why I do, because this morning it made me late to my first class- granted I could have walked faster to campus, but I was just so dang excited to ride the city bus that I just waited.

Next I am an English nerd and so proud of it I don't even know what to do with myself. My first three classes today were in fact English based and I may have a crush on one of my Professors. A little gem from that particular professor: "The only reason to teach anything is to feel like the Wizard of Oz... Wanna see behind the curtain?" -Dr. McCuskey. Just another incentive for me to become a teacher... becoming the Wizard of Oz. He said this in the context of getting to control the website, and sadly enough no one else laughed as hard as I did.

Not only classes, but the campus itself. I really love Logan Utah, as beautiful as Wyoming was for the summer, Logan has never felt so much like home.

So in a nut shell I am a nerd and absolutely love school and I am so thrilled to be back :)

Before I forget...

Today is my second to last day in this great land we call Wyoming, the Cowboy State, place where it starts getting cold in August... anyway I've compiled a few lists that I thought I would share with you my two readers. I surely hope you enjoy.

A list of things I WILL NOT miss in Wyoming (in no particular order)

1. The cold
2. Gabe
3. Work
-Shirts
-Shirt lists
-People asking if we have other sizes of shirts
-STYROFOAM
-"Where's the nearest bathroom/toilet/lou/etc?"
-Counting back change
-Cleaning the bathrooms, break room and office
-1-10
-Stairs
4. Sharing a bathroom with 5 other girls
5. Having to drive twice as far and pay twice as much for groceries
6. The mice that live behind the picture that covers up the fireplace
7. The odd smells that often infest mine and Allison's room
8. The 13 miles and twenty minute drive between Jackson and my significant other, I think I much prefer the two or three blocks that await in Logan
10. All the random broken stuff around the apartment from the store, unlike the ghetto couches these are not endearing to me- just ugly
11. Clean checks


A list of things that I WILL miss in Wyoming (in no particular order)

1. So much stars, they don't make them like that in Utah... or something
2. Gabe (yes he asked to be put on both lists)
3. My room - it's huge
4. My closet- also huge
5. My roommate and her sweet awesome phrases
-"She's crazy like a loon"
-"She's a special soul"
6. Having a washer and drier that I don't have to shove quarters in
7. The ghetto couches that hurt my back whenever I fall asleep on them, somehow its endearing or something
8. The branch and all the crazy fun activities- pig wrestling and raftin'
9. The Teton Whitewater crew
10. Everyone that I work with, for the most part :) Hehe Most especially Dave
11. Being able to walk to work, except when its freezing- dumb
12. I feel tempted to put some aspects of work, but really there's nothing there that I'm going to miss. Perhaps the spontaneous treats that show up in the break room sporadically.
13. Moose everything
14. The spontaneous crazy weather, hail, rain, sleet, sunshine all in one day
15. Uintah Ground Squirrels
16. Hikes to lakes where we actually make it to the lake

I'm sure there are more that I could add to both of these lists, and I might even do so later on, but that's all I've got for today.

WOOOOT!

Today is a great day. Today I can call myself a real writer... or something. You, my dear reader, may think that I am the biggest nerd ever, and laugh at my English nerdyness but I have accomplished a personal goal. Today I finished a poem, but not just any poem. Today I completed a villanelle. This probably holds no significance to you, but for me I am celebrating on the inside. Ever since I studied Elizabeth Bishop last semester I made a goal to write one of these poems, and today I finished it. I started on it quite a few weeks ago and really am very proud of myself for finishing it. It may not be the most earth shattering poem to ever hit the world... or cyberspace for that matter, but it holds a lot of personal meaning for me. I just thought I would share that with the world, and when I work up the courage to put it on my blog I'll let you all four of you know :) I need to read it a few more times, make sure its almost nearly next to perfect and then I will share. I just wanted to give myself a semi-public pat on the back.

The Meaning and the Reason

There have been a few select questions on my mind lately, most of which I won't divulge here, but one in particular that I will.

Saturday was my 19th birthday, and it was a day full of family and friends. I had the opportunity to attend the Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house, which I was very happy about seeing as it was the last day to do so.

I went with two of my best friends and literally hundreds of others. As we walked through towards the first flight of stairs my mind went to one of those questions. What is eternity? This question has been itching my brain for a while, and I've spent many an hour puzzling over this (usually while I'm at work and should be doing something productive). But this question came to me and I looked towards the myriad of people and a little girl cried out, and it echoed through the entrance. This drew me out of my reverie only to take a better look at the entire room filled to capacity with people from every walk of life, but what caught my attention most were the children.

And it clicked.

There was eternity. With each child born there comes the hope of moving forward. It seemed to me that there was an abundance of small children populating that particular session of the open house, and every one look more precious that any one thing the world could hold. There was eternity.

The realization of what eternity means to me (because by no means is this any sort of text book definition, just the ramblings of a teenager) was reaffirmed later that night.

My grandmother celebrated her 81st birthday in June and she came by to wish one of her dozen or so granddaughters a happy birthday. As she sat and visited with me and my family, she told us about the surprise visit she received from her oldest son (my dad's brother). she told us that each one of his children brought their own little family and how they had ten small children running around their yard. She laughed and said she couldn't quite believe it- Ten great grandchildren, and that was just from one of her three sons, not even to mention her two daughters, and it hit me again. There was eternity. It shone in the hope of a young child, and in the love of this beautifully aged woman.

So I guess eternity to me is family, and never seeing the end of that family. To me eternity is the young and the old and the journey it takes to get there.

The meaning is family, and the reason is Christ.

Needless to say I cannot wait until I have ten great grandchildren from just one child, therein lies eternity for me.

Oh the things you learn...

The past two days have been exceptionally educational for me so I thought I'd write to you my avid reader as to why that is. And yes of course this will be a list.

1. Going to see Harry Potter with my little brother is the only way to go. If only my sister had been there to enjoy it as well. Vanishing Cabinents!!

2. Jiffy Lube sucks. How did I learn this, I will divulge. One- they move in slow motion. Two- they smell (literally, figuratively, all of the above). Three- they will fail you for safety for ANYTHING, and then send you on a wild goose chase for a non existant part that needs to be replaced in your car. Four- the smelly guys will hit on you after saying "Shucks, sorry we didn't pass your car because your battery isn't properly secured. But what are you doing later?" (at that point I proceeded to vomit on said smelly Jiffy Lube working, at least I thought about it).

3. DMV's also usually suck, except for the newest one located in Draper Utah, which no one knows about and therefore it is perpetually empty.

4. No matter what mood I'm in, how I'm feeling, or how long I've been driving, to have any one of my nephews or my niece give me a hug and a smile and tell me they've missed me will inevitably put a ridiculous grin on my face.

5. Also having the youngest nephew attempt to say my name and then laugh histerically at me will lead to more smiling.

6. It's weird to have friends that are getting married, but also really excited. One of my oldest friends is tying the eternal knot in a matter of weeks and I couldn't be happier for her. I knew she wouldn't last long, that miss Ashlynne Haaga is talented and beautiful and I hope she has a lifetime of happiness.

7. It's nice to have a mom that still needs to feel needed, this way whenever you come home she babies you like none other. She idiot proofs the registration of your car, which you still manage to mess up, and she feeds you every chance she gets. Not to mention she pays for everything.

8. Driving for five hours in the wee hours of the morning is not a good idea. There are several reasons for this. The first being you could get in a car accident. The next being you could be completely out of it, not pay attention and end up driving West for 30 minutes when you should be driving North, only to realize after 30 minutes that you don't recognize anything. At this point you have to call your mother to ask her to mapquest where you are so you can get back onto I-15.

I learned a lot in the last two days I guess it was an educational excursion home.