Fun Fact

I end up sounding like a whiny teenager in most of my prayers

Help me with this project. Help me to sleep well. Help me to get better, help me to do well, help me to get this done, help me to understand... help me to remember....

help me

help me

help me.

My realization of this fact, coupled with my new calling as part of the compassionate service committee, has made me change my prayers a little bit. 

Oh, I still ask for a LOT. 

But I make sure to ask God to lead me to someone I can help.

In the past 2 weeks, I've had 7 different people ask me how to get somewhere on campus.

I know that this is an answer to prayer because no one in their right minds would actually ask me for directions... I'm no good at that.

And yet, I haven't led anyone astray.

 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

(Ether 12:27)

So that's cool.

Wish you were here.

Increase in internet presence.

Physical presence fades away.

People you meet are familiar to you because of Facebook. Not the other way around.

We chat for hours at a time online. But can't exchange a dozen words when we meet in real life.

The teacher takes roll. He sees you sitting in the at the desk and says that you are "here." But with a simple keystroke or swipe, you aren't really. Physically, yes. Mentally? Spiritually? No. You are off in Cyberspace.

No more making memories. We make tweets and instagrams.
Apples, Apples everywhere but not a bite to eat.

I sat with my home evening group. No one spoke, they just played with devices (texting and what-not). I watched them. No one noticed. A long time passed. But we just sat in silence. Necks bent over, only thumbs moving.

You build relationships on line. Would you even recognize that person if you saw them on the street? I didn't.

You gather friends and followers click by click. No one really knows you.

Soon all they know about you is the way you type. How you capitalize and punctuate. You become what you like, post, and follow. They know less and less of the real you.

You only go out to have a picture to post, a funny comment to say, and soon even you live your life virtually.

Internet interactions overshadow everything else.

Soon every tangible thing fades.

and whoever you once were fades away.

You fade away. 

Whatever talents and skills you had become dormant. 

You are a shadow, busy with useless things. Oblivious to the important ones.

Sleep is a thing of the past, as the blue light illuminates your face until 2 or 3 or 4 am. 

Wake up. Rejoin the forces of the living. Limit your internet time, and try talking to real people. To their faces. Outside of Skype. 

Give someone a hug!

Remember that the tangible things are more important than anything you can find online. 

You are more than a Profile, username, and password.

So prove it.

.

A White Crayon

Two of my roommates have been talking in the kitchen for hours. 

Relationship stuff.

We've been here at college for the same amount of time, but both of them are leaps and bounds ahead of me in the social world.

One has a boyfriend and they've had their first kiss.

The other attracts handsome and talented musicians. Plural. 

But me, 

Usually I'm ok with this. 

But every now and then I get sick of it.

Just once, I want to be the girl a guy has a crush on.

Just once, I want to be that girl who walks into the room and brightens it.

Just once, I want someone to stay up late, thinking of me.

Just once, I want to be the one who gets asked on dates.

Just once, I want to be the one that makes him lose his train of thought.

Just once.

I'm sick of being the white crayon.

I look across the cardboard crayola box and feel totally alone.

 Everybody chooses the red crayon.

And when she gets used up, you can still chose the "Wild Strawberry" and "Scarlet" shades which are almost the same. 

Blue is a favorite, too. 

And there are a lot, just like her.

Red and blue have a lot of fun. 

But sometimes they get hurt.

They get worn down from use, and are returned to the box, blunted and broken.

The paper label is ripped or removed.

And you don't know what shade they are anymore.

Just red-ish. Blue-ish

The box came with 96 shades.

But where have they gone?

Missing, broken, lost. Their unique identity removed from the mix.
If a kid needs a red crayon and can't find the "true red," any shade will do.

And the white crayon waits. 

Her tip is untouched. Her label: crisp and clean.

Her color is pure, unmixed, and unique.

And some day she will be needed. 

No other color will do. No substitutions can be made...

Not when the paper is black.

And when that white crayon meets the black paper they will know that the wait was worth it.

All that time on the shelf, leading to this moment, was well spent. 

Because these two are perfectly matched.

And now, clean and whole, they are ready to commit to each other...

and make something beautiful.

It's the kind of thing that only happens "just once."
And it's the best thing there is.

I'm just holding out for some really nice black paper.

Wise words

"Oh, to be a university student. It seems that one could pass 10,000 lifetimes here, and barely scratch the surface of human possibility."

"Sometimes the greatest strength lies in the power to get out of bed and face another day."

And occasionally, I quote myself.

No Gray Area

September

Printed out panda. Pencil out important areas. These pencil marks become indents on the scratch-board.

I used a push-pin to scratch away the black covering on the surface. I happened to do this in line for the Ute Football game.

 more and more...

And more. My camera was having trouble focusing, so I had to include some clutter. Oh well.

Showing the black... use of negative space, I guess

 Now he can stare at you...

Now he's done.

A Day in the Life

September 21st
Apparently, once a year the Daily Universe puts together a "day in the life" project once a year, inviting students to be journalist for a day and post the photos (From Midnight to Midnight) to their Facebook page.
I missed the deadline for that.

But, here's a Blog.

Friday night.

We played Fugitive at 12:45

Marissa, Emmalie, and I ran through construction, hopped a fence, and almost made it the the building without being caught.

And when we were done, we decided to blow up McKenzie's phone with selfies.

When it was our turn to be cops, Marissa and I hid in the bushes of a main road. Invisible and silent. They sent out a scout, and we scared the living daylights out of him (and a few people who were on our team) but we didn't actually catch anyone.

And in the morning, we made pancakes. I made the normal ones, and Marissa made German ones.

 

And then I did laundry (oh, the joys! No photos... that's a bit dull.)

And then we rented a puppy. His name is Coach, and as you can see he is totally adorable.

Marissa went to save spots in line at noon. I went to sit with her at 2, because they were "condensing" the line.

We napped.

I did a side-project

Emmalie gave us Spirit Paint when she came along.

We also got free T-shirts.

 

 

 There was a parade
We saved seats, people came, I ran off to pick up a package my Uncle sent from home, dropped it off, and ran back to the Stadium.

LOTS of people. Lots of noise. Lots of fun. We lost. But with a score of 20-13 IN 2013... I'd say it's still a good game.