Elder Holland's Talk

Here it is like I promised!

General Conference

I love General Conference. I love having the weekend to relax and listen and feel so good. It's always a much-needed weekend to re-charge my batteries and get ready for another six months. I spent time with friends and family, and I made sure all of my schoolwork was taken care of by Friday. That was wonderful!

This General Conference I noticed some definite topics, mainly love and personal revelation. I loved President Uchtdorf's talk, and his statement of "what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are." It really is true that our priorities determine every other aspect of our lives.

Elder Bednar's talk about being more diligent and concerned at home was great as well. He gave three great ideas for improving your home, or at least your apartment if you're like me and have roommates as family.
1. Express love and show it
2. Bear testimony and live it
3. Be consistent
I love those ideas!

I definitely had answers to some questions. Richard G. Scott gave some great advice that I feel was very applicable to me. He said, "Sometimes inspiration and direction are just general feelings." This was great to hear because sometimes when I'm looking for an answer to prayers, I expect a big, obvious answer, like lightning strikes or an earthquake (not literally of course). But to know that when we just feel good about an answer, it probably is right. Or if we're just not feeling it with another question, that probably means it isn't for us. That was so helpful to me!

Lastly I loved Elder Holland's talk. I wanted to post it but I can't find it yet. So I promise I will when it become available. Man, if you ever want to hear a deep testimony, this was it. I was so impressed by his determination to tell the world what he believes, with absolutely no doubt. Someday I will be like that.

So, it was a great weekend. Like always, it goes by too fast, and I can't wait for next April!

Books and Such

Today is a beautiful Fall day. Yes, a bit cold, yes a bit rainy, and yes, the bottoms of my jeans will be soaked for the rest of the day because I forgot to wear rain boots, but it's still beautiful nonetheless. Fall makes me think of curling up on a couch with a good book, Starbucks hot chocolate, and my pink fleece blanket.

Speaking of books, have I ever mentioned I love them? This next story will prove how literary and bookish I am. After the General Relief Society broadcast Saturday night (which was wonderful), I had the strongest urge to go to Barnes and Noble. I kept telling myself I had stuff to do after the broadcast, but the urge wouldn't go away. So I went. And it was wonderful! I think I spent an hour or more there, just looking. I love walking in and smelling the Starbucks smell, a mix of coffee, chocolate, cinnamon, and vanilla. Mm! I looked all over the store, from the children's section to the cookbook section to the biography section. I spent time looking at cool coffee table books I want to have in my home one day. A coffee table book can say a lot about the people who live there!

So yes, it's stories like this that make me love my major. I hope someday I can have my own library, and not just have it, but actually use it. Reading to me is such an amazing way to learn about people, cultures, life, history, anything. My wish right now is that I had more free time to read for myself. School and work are definitely keeping me busy. Maybe someday! But until then, I heart Barnes and Noble.

Half-Birthdays and The Times

Today is my half-birthday. Six months ago today I left teenage-dom, and to be honest, today I still don't feel any older. But I definitely am, especially in BYU terms. Today I was sitting in my Physical Science lab, and I was talking to a Freshman about the class, and then he asked me if I had taken Biology 100 yet. I said, "Yes, I took that a year ago." And he said, "Oh, so you're a Sophomore?" "No, a Junior." "Oh, wow. A Junior." Don't ask me what he meant. It was either said in awe, that he couldn't believe he was talking to an upper-classman, or it was said as if "I hope I never become a Junior. They're so old." Or it could have been that Physical Science is usually a Freshman class, and little Miss Procrastinator here put if off for as long as she could. I'm hoping for the first answer, but intuition is telling me he just thinks I'm old. So happy half-birthday to me. I'm not quite sure what it is about BYU culture that makes you feel old at 20 1/2, but it is what it is. But am I old enough to start lying about my age? Because I promised myself that I never will.

Right now I'm reading the New York Times. There's something about the rustle of turning pages in a newspaper that just makes me feel so intelligent. I never read the Times because it costs money and I can read it online for free, but I found a box of complimentary issues in the Brimhall building today, so I took one. And I love it! Getting lost in the newspaper is a beautiful thing. I credit this love of news-absorption to my Communications 101 class. I'm really glad I decided to minor in Communications.

Provo Yogurt

This past Saturday BYU was slaughtered by Florida State University in our first home football game of the season, so to cure my depression I decided to take a trip to a frozen yogurt place and get a treat. My dilema: Provo has about 50 possible frozen yogurt places to choose from. How to decide? Spoon Me wins for having the best name, but according to my roommate Alicia Yozone wins for the best toppings, and they charge you by the ounce, so you choose how much or how little you want. So we settled on Yozone, where I got New York Cheesecake, Cookies and Cream, and Cake Batter frozen yogurt, topped with Kit-Kats, Reese's, gummy bears, strawberries, and marshmallow cream sauce. And every bite was delicious. For about $2.50, it was worth it.

This got Leash and I discussing the million frozen yogurt places we know of in Provo, and we decided to combine them to make this great name: Hello Red Spoon Fro-Zone Oasis. Kind of silly, but kind of fun!

Ego-centricity

I found this fabulous article on CNN.com by columnist Ruben Navarrette, Jr. Although he and I definitely live on different sides of the political spectrum, I wholeheartedly agreed with a lot of his ideas. Enjoy, and think hard about it!

Commentary: Joe, Kanye, Serena - aren't they special?

Okay Kanye...Seriously?

I've never been a huge fan of Kanye West. His songs are okay (I'm known to get really excited when I hear "Gold Digger"), but his attitude has always bugged me. I swear for every awards show he throws a fit when he doesn't win. How old are we? So I was bugged when I got online Monday morning and saw this:

Click here.

Then, I saw a video of Beyonce, and what she did to make up for Kanye's stupidity.

Click here.

What a classy move, Beyonce. I don't understand why there are some people out there who can't let others have their moment, people who have to win all the time. Kanye has been blaming what he did on everything other than himself. Come on. Take fault for your own actions. And let other people shine for once. Because you know this isn't the last time you'll throw a fit.