Last week for movie night, we watched a movie I've been wanting to watch for a VERY long time. While I wouldn't describe it as charming, really funny, or even as a very good family movie, I would recommend it to anyone who is able to deal with some rather disturbing information.

EXPELLED: NO INTELLIGENCE ALLOWED is a documentary about evolution... how it came to be excepted and taught in schools, how much of an effect it has had on the world and our morals and how impossible evolution actually is. My favorite part of the whole movie is when Ben Stein asks a scientist how exactly everything started if there was no creator, and the man answers "well, one idea is that it started on the backs of crystals." Ben asks him a couple of other questions and he answers (with an English accent) "I ALREADY told you, it was on the backs of crystals!" Anyway, you would have to watch it to see how really funny it is!!

If you want to read more about this thought provoking movie go here. We watched it on Netflixs Instant Play, and so can you if you have Netflixs!! :)

empty me

I came across this song a couple of weeks ago, and it really touched me. Pardon the rock type music, I usually don't listen that kind of music, but I love the message of this song. Only when we are emptied of the useless things of the world can we really be filled with God and learn to truly love holiness!!!

Empty me of the selfishness inside
Every vain ambition and the poison of my pride
And any foolish thing my heart holds to
Lord empty me of me so I can be filled with you.

Cause everything is a lesser thing
Compared to you. So, I surrender all!

whew...

what a busy week, but a good one too! So much has happened since I got my call... I've pretty much been busy every moment!!

School is almost over for this semester, and that's hard to believe! The past two weeks I've had a test (or 2) in pretty much every class, and I can feel the momentum building towards finals. There really aren't enough hours in a day to get all my studying, teaching and practicing done. Today in piano lessons my teacher actually told me that I did a good job, something he's never done! For him to say "that was 100% better" and "you'll have to play this for people, you're great at it!" just about knocked me over!!

Oh, and yesterday relief flooded over me as I finally sold my 2 angora rabbits. I put an add online Saturday evening, and Sunday I had two people call me! I took down the price quite a bit, but it's so good to know that they are in good hands... much better hands than mine! Just before their new owner came to pick them up I spent a good hour cleaning them up, talk about DIS-GUS-TING! I think the male rabbit (Knightly) lost about 5 pounds after I cut off all the matted, poopy, wet hair. EEWW! Anyway, I'll spare you the details.

I also had a fabulous birthday and turned 21! I'm officially legal now. I've never had this happen before on a birthday, but I definitely feel older, in fact, I feel ANCIENT!! For my birthday I just got money so I could buy the things I need for my mission, and that certainly is a LOT! I have to have 2-3 suit coats, and I just about died when I looked them up online. There is no way that I'm going to pay $200 for each one! SO, I went to the local thrift store and the Wal-Mart and found two... both in superb condition and together for less than $20! Heavenly Father is EXTREMELY good to those that seek to do His will! Even though life is full to the brim and super busy, I just love being alive!!!

LIFE IS GOOD!!!

it came!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i am...

anxiously waiting for a large envelope that will change my life forever. Only two more days of waiting, but I'm not sure that I can stand it! I've had the craziest most vivid dreams and I manage to wake up with 7 hours of sleep, but not rested. I can't wait for wednesday!!

Today we had the amazing opportunity to go to the Draper Temple Open House.The temple has several floors, and it was amazing to see the light get brighter and brighter as you went up. Not only the light, but the decorations and everything, including the feeling! It was gorgeous!!! It was so beautiful, and I can't wait until I'm old enough to go inside!!!!! I'm so glad that I got to go and see the inside of such a beautiful temple, it was such a precious experience!

(an actual picture of Gene Stratton-Porter's LIMBERLOST)

yesterday a cold hit me fast. I was having a really hard time breathing and so I was sent to bed by my mother with some homeopathic medicine, some peppermint oil and lots of water. I haven't been able to read a book in a long time, so I enjoyed myself immensely! I read all 450 pages of "A Girl of the Limberlost" in one afternoon. I'd never read it before, and I couldn't put it down! I've read several other books by Gene Stratton-Porter, and loved them so much I've read them each 2-3 times. But I think that this one is now my favorite!!

I was so inspired by Elnora's courage to face difficult things, her perseverance, her faithfulness to people even when they hurt her, and her ability to pick herself up when she fell. I love books that make you feel like getting up and doing something marvelous to change the world. This book certainly made me feel that way!!!! When one of my sisters saw my book she said "wow that has a lot of dog-tails!" (i believe she meant dog eared pages :) Here are a few of my most favorite quotes:

"I believe the best way to get an answer to prayer is to work for it"

"Remember this - what you are lies with you. If you are lazy, and accept your lot, you may live in it. If you are willing to work, you can write your name anywhere you choose, among the only ones who live beyond the grave in this world, the people who write books that help, make exquisite music, carve statues, paint pictures and work for others."

"The world is full of happy people, but no one ever hears of them. You must fight and make a scandal to get into the papers. No one knows about all the happy people. I am happy myself, and look how perfectly inconspicuous I am!"

"To me it seems the only pleasure in this world worth having is the joy we derive from living for those we love, and those we help"

just when I thought...

that spring was around the corner, THIS got dumped on us!!


I haven't even worn a coat for the
last couple of days it's been so warm!
Oh, well... someday spring will come!!

today I didn't have to teach piano, so I was watching T.V. with my little brother and I just fell in love with this song... don't ask me why, maybe it has something to do with all the neat words at the end. Anyhow, it has a catchy tune and I really like the ending. Today they taught the word "accomplices (an associate in wrongdoing, especially one who aids or abets another in a criminal act, either as a principal or an accessory.)" and it fit rather nicely in a conversation I had with a sister today. Perfect timing!! At the end of this post (after the words to the song) there is a list of words that Martha says, I didn't write up all of them since a lot of them are common, but the other ones aren't, and I think they are pretty cool!!!

Hear her speak! Martha speaks and speaks and speaks and speaks and...
"Communicates, enumerates, elucidates, exaggerates, indicates, and explicates,
bloviates, and overstates and (pant, pant, pant) hyperventilates!"

ENUMERATES - To count off or name one by one; list
ELUCIDATES - To make clear or plain, by explanation; clarify
EXPLICATES - To make clear the meaning of; explain
BLOVIATES - To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner