dreams :)

1. to write something that people actually like and that adds some good to the world :)
2. to find my pizza soulmate
3. to go to a legitimate bollywood dance
4. to make people laugh
5. to camp on the beach
6. to visit Rome
7. to take an epic roadtrip with friends and to stop and play frequently along the way
8. to have an alphabet party with 25 of my closest friends
9. ‎to climb on the giant red tube sculpture in seattle and take pictures :)
10. to be on AFP
11. to visit Jerusalem
12. to create a music video in the style of the 80s

12. check.

dieting tips from the pros, ce's and arth :)

trust us... we're professionals.

• cold foods have negative calories... naturally.
• it's less calories to eat it with a fork.
• eat in the dark. if you can't see it then you're basically eating nothing.
• hot fudge burns calories.
• adding bananas to ice cream makes it healthy... practically a salad...
• peanut m&ms = healthy snack.
• hot foods are great for you because the calories get burnt for you.
• white ice cream is good because white is the color of nothing, signifying no calories.
• fruit ice cream, healthy, duh, it's fruit.
• chocolate is made from beans, meaning vegetable, meaning health.
• mint, tastes like toothpaste, health.
• ice cream is dairy. pure health.

enjoy :)

What I have decided is this.

God has a plan. I'm trusting in Him. My feelings of jealousy and resentment are not good, {and thus, of Satan.} It's pride. Charity doesn't envy, isn't puffed up, and doesn't seek her own. I don't seek to glorify myself, but to glorify God. At least I'm working on that :) 

1 Tim 4:12 - Be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. :) 

I need to stay in tune with God and let Him guide me so that I can know what to do and say. I want to be an instrument in His hand, helping to accomplish his great plan :) I'm turning my life over to God. I will live my life in a way that's conducive to having the Spirit always be with me, to guide me. I will pray always, and go firmly in the direction God is pointing me. I know the truth - I will live it. I'll go forward and not backward. Courage! And on, on to the victory! For the Lord my God is with me, whithersoever I go. Shall I not go on in so great a cause?  Let my heart rejoice, and be exceedingly glad :) {D&C 128:22; Josh 1:9} Sing unto the Lord, for He hath done excellent things :) {Isa 12:5}

this is what i think.

I think that there is good in just about everything. God can work through almost anything to touch people and bring them closer to Him. Pretty much every religion has at least some small iota of truth. There's something there that, through the Spirit, God can help me learn from. President Hinckley said kind of the same thing - all people have some light {the light of Christ}. It's our job to add to that light, both in ourselves and in others by sharing the light of the gospel. And I think that different people will attain different amounts of light in this life time. So we shouldn't disparage other religions for what they have wrong, but respect them for what they have right and for the good they do in people's lives. And always try to share the light we have with others and to bring them closer to Christ. And, we shouldn't "hide our light." Because the light is Christ :)
And also, I believe that goodness can't come from something evil. Everything good comes from God. It is impossible for the devil to produce something good, because goodness draws us to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Christ is the source of all light.
Moroni 7:11; Matthew 12:25-26; Matthew 7:16-18; Moroni 7:12-13, 16-17; Alma 5:40; Ether 4:11-12; D&C 11:12


EDIT: President Hinckley's actual quote is as follows: "To anybody who is not of this Church, I say we recognize all of the virtues and the good that you have. Bring it with you and see if we might add to it.” Gordon B. Hinckley, "“This Thing Was Not Done in a Corner”", Ensign, Nov. 1996, 48

a rant

About converting people. Never insult the other person's religion. If they're close to it, it's like insulting them personally. Never have a prideful or know-it-all attitude. Always make sure your intentions are pure and charitable and Christlike. People are a lot more likely to believe that you're concerned for their eternal soul if you also show concern for them as a person. Make sure it's genuine concern. Be sure to have charity - suffer long, be kind, don't envy, don't be puffed up, don't seek your own, don't be easily provoked, don't think any evil, don't rejoice in iniquity, do rejoice in the truth, bear all things, believe, hope, endure. Don't talk down to someone or be condescending or think that you're going to "save" them. It's very off-putting. Don't do it for yourself, either. You have to be purely unselfish. Don't engage in "bible bashing" or tying to prove them wrong. Don't insult them, their family, or their religion. Be careful not to accidentally offend. Be careful not to chase away the Spirit. Remember that he that hath the spirit of contention is not of Christ, but is of the devil, who stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another. Always invite the Spirit. The Spirit of Christ never leads to contention or anger but to charity, respect, and love. Gal. 5:22-23. Show genuine concern for them as a person, not conditional upon their acceptance of your message. Don't give the impression that you'll love them "only if" they convert. Don't try to "save their soul" just for your own benefit or because you feel obligated to. Don't even give the impression that this is your motivation. Don't be combative. Be full of love. Let the Spirit guide your words and actions. Be bold and unafraid of the truth. Be kind. Don't give up. Seek to uplift and enlighten, not tear down and destroy. Share the truth without bashing other religions. Don't tear down to build yourself up. Share the truth, honestly and simply. Always remember charity. Speak positively. Don't act as though God has given you all the answers. Don't talk about things you know nothing about, just share what you know. Don't try to trick or trap the other person, or force them to do or say something. Seek first to understand, and then to be understood. See the other person as Christ sees them. Beware of pride. Let the Spirit work through you and teach and touch their heart. God converts, not you.

to feel

I think that it's good to miss something. It proves that you love it. Example: I miss Seattle. This feeling tells me that I love Seattle :)
Also - our sorrows increase our capacity for feeling love and joy. It's like carving out a cup so that it can hold more :)
Actually I guess any deep emotion carves out a space for others. Greater capacity to feel. And I guess because Christ experienced infinite sorrow and suffering, he can also experience infinite love and joy. {not sure which came first. I guess there is no "first" with infinity) :)
Luckily we don't have to experience infinite sorrow to attain perfect love. Thanks to Jesus's atonement :)
We do need to feel sorrow though. It deepens our capacity to feel, and it increases empathy.

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter's oven? ~Kahlil Gibran

how does Christ love us?

Deeply and unconditionally. Without expecting anything in return. Individually, not collectively. If we love Him back, we will show it by keeping his commandments. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. His love for us is a free gift that He willingly offers us, but we have to do something about. We have to act and allow it to work in us, act on it and be changed.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. We are his friends, if we do whatsoever he commands us.
Because He loves us, He wants us to be truly happy, and He knows the only way to receive true happiness is from the Father through Him. He points back to God, always. He glorifies God. He is not proud or boastful or self-centered. He places higher value on us than himself. He put us above Himself - even though we do not deserve it! And he did it because he loves us. He loves us despite our rejection of him. He doesn't need us to love him - he loved us first! We need to love Him. He wants us to love him so that we can be happy. He was willing to sacrifice everything, just to give us the chance, the opportunity for happiness.
He is patient with our faults. He knows we are trying. His influence will bring us closer to the Father. He helps us reach this higher ground. He is never content with what we think is our best - He has better things in mind for us. He will never rest until we are safely home again. He will never give up on us. He cares about us and suffers with us. He mourns with us and rejoices with us.
There is nothing we could do to make Him stop loving us - he always will. He will protect and defend us. He is always there. He wants us to rely on Him. He fights for us. He gives us little blessings to brighten our day :) He has eternal hope for us. He bled and died for the sinner and the saint. His love is offered to everyone - the difference is who will take it and make something of it. He even loves the people who hate Him and do terrible things to Him. And he never, ever gives up on them either. His love has a purifying, perfecting effect. It is cleansing. It makes us want to be better people. It helps us to become better. It is constant. It improves our life. I should love people this same way - deeply and unconditionally. Love = service and sacrifice.