You're Twenty Four

I am officially 24 now! Holy cow!

I was dreading my Birthday, only because

I had to work at 8am and then go to school until

8pm. It was going to be a busy day. However, it

was still great because of my wonderful friends-

especially Jordan and Lizzy. They went above and

beyond to make my day awesome. It all started when

I was about to get off at work. I was talking to a client

on the phone when I saw two clients walk in. When I 

transferred the client on the phone to my coworker, I

looked up to tell the clients who were waiting for me to

help them to hold on a couple minutes before I could help

them. When I looked up, it was Jordan and Lizzy standing

there. I almost fell out of my chair because it was such a 

surprise. Once I had finished the call they gave me a piece

 of cake and wished me a happy birthday. I was done

with work, so we all walked out together and talked

by the cars. I had to go to class, and they asked me if

I was going to get any lunch. I told them that I didn't

have time and that I wasn't even hungry. Jordan

said he was going to bring me Jimmy John's to class

and I told him I was fine, and that he wouldn't be able

to find me anyways. They both laughed at me and said

they could. I reassured them that I would be fine and

not to worry about me. So I went to school and while

I was sitting in class, and all of the sudden I see a Jimmy

John sandwich placed on my desk. I looked up and

 see Jordan running out of my classroom. He stopped and 

look at me for a couple seconds and then left. I was completely

 shocked! He later told me that the look on my face was 

priceless. I believe him. I did not see that one coming at all. 

I thought I had convinced them that I was fine. I was also 

curious as to how he found out where my classroom was. After 

I got out of my class he texted me to go to my car before it 

rained. So I went and I found an awesome poster that said 

"Happy Birthday" that Lizzy drew for me. They are the best!

 After school I met up with Ally, Kayla, Jordan, and Lizzy 

for dinner at Malawi's Pizza. We had a great time and I

opened some awesome gifts from them! I am so lucky

to have such wonderful friends that would go out of their

way to make sure my birthday was extra special.

On Saturday I had my

Birthday BBQ Bunco Bonanza!

It was fantastic! Jordan used his mad grilling skills

and grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for us. After

dinner, we all went inside and played bunco!

Everyone said they had a great time, and I was glad 

because I had a blast. I had wonderful friends and

family surrounding me. How could I not be happy?

Thank you to all those who made my birthday so

wonderful!

Push-ups For Donuts.

I have heard this story a few times in church, and it never fails

 to touch my heart. It has such a powerful message about

Christ's Atonement, and the wonderful gift he has

 given us -- The gift of eternal life! 

There was a boy by the name of Steve who was attending Seminary in Utah. In this Seminary classes are held during school hours. Brother Christianson taught Seminary at this particular school. He had an open-door policy and would take in any student that had been thrown out of another class as long as they would abide by his rules. Steve had been kicked out of his sixth period and no other teacher wanted him, so he went into Brother Christianson’s Seminary class.

 Steve was told that he could not be late, so he arrived just seconds before the bell rang and he would sit in the very back of the room. He would also be the first to leave after the class was over.

 One day, Brother Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. After class, Bro.
 Christianson pulled Steve aside and said, ‘You think you’re pretty tough, don’t you?’

 Steve’s answer was, ‘Yeah, I do.’

 Then Brother Christianson asked, ‘How many push-ups can you do?’

 Steve said, ‘I do about 200 every night.’

 ’200? That’s pretty good, Steve,’ Brother Christianson said. ‘Do you think you could do 300?’

 Steve replied, ‘I don’t know… I’ve never done 300 at a time.’

 ’Do you think you could?’ Again asked Brother Christianson.

 ’Well, I can try,’ said Steve.

 ’Can you do 300 in sets of 10? I need you to do 300 in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it,’ Brother Christianson said. Steve said, ‘Well… I think I can… yeah, I can do it.’

 Brother Christianson said, ‘Good! I need you to do this on Friday.’

 Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the ro om. When class started, Brother Christianson pulled out a big box of donuts. Now these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited-it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend.

 Bro. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, ‘Cynthia, do you want a donut?’

 Cynthia said, ‘Yes.’

 Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, ‘Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?’

 Steve said, ‘Sure,’ and jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Bro. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.

 Bro. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, ‘Joe do you want a donut?’

 Joe said, ‘Yes.’ Bro. Christianson asked, ‘Steve would you do ten push- ups so Joe can have a donut?’ Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut.

 And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Bro. Christianson came to Scott.

 Scott was captain of the football team and center of the basketball team. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. Then Bro. Christianson asked, ‘Scott do you want a donut?’

 Scott’s reply was, ‘Well, can I do my own pushups?’

 Bro. Christianson said, ‘No, Steve has to do them.’

 Then Scott said, ‘Well, I don’t want one then.’

 Bro. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, ‘Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want?’

 Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, ‘HEY! I said I didn’t want one!’
 < BR> Bro. Christianson said, ‘Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.’ And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

 Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Bro. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

 Bro. Christianson asked Jenny, ‘Jenny, do you want a donut?’

 Jenny said, ‘No.’

 Then Bro. Christianson asked Steve, ‘Steve, would you do ten pushups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want?’ Steve did ten, Jenny got a donut.

 By now, the students were beginning to say ‘No’ and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve was also having to really put forth a lot of eff ort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

 Bro. Christianson asked Robert to watch Steve to make sure he did ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. So Robert began to watch Steve closely. Bro. Christianson started down the fourth row.

 During his class, however, some students had wandered in and sat along the heaters along the sides of the room. When Bro. Christianson realized this; he did a quick count and saw 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it.

 Bro. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

 Steve asked Bro. Christianson, ‘Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?’

 Bro. Christianson thought for a moment, ‘Well, they’re your pushups. You can do them any way that you want.’ And Bro. Christianson went on.

 A few moments later, Jason came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled, ‘NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!’

 Jason didn’t know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, ‘No, let him come.’

 Bro. Christianson said, ‘You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him.’

 Steve said, ‘Yes, let him come in.’

 Bro. Christianson said, ‘Okay, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?’

 ’Yes.’

 ’Steve, will you do ten pushups so that Jason can have a donut?’ Steve did ten pushups very slowly an d with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

 Bro. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those seated on the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each pushup in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was not a dry eye in the room.

 The very last two girls in the room were cheerleaders and very popular. Bro. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, ‘Linda, do you want a doughnut?

 Linda said, very sadly, ‘No, thank you.’

 Bro. Christianson asked Steve, ‘Steve, would you do ten pushups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want?’

 Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda. Then Bro. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. ‘Susan, do you want a donut?’

 Susan, with tears flowing down her face, asked , ‘Bro. Christianson , can I help him?’

 Bro. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, ‘No, he has to do it alone, Steve, would you do ten pushups so Susan can have a donut?’

 As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

 Brother Christianson turned to the room and said. ‘And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, plead to the Father, ‘Into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he collapsed on the cross and died. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.’ .

 When everyone in the classroom heard what the teacher meant by it and realized everything. Steve smiled on the ground where he laid in his own sweat and began to cry.

Greater Love

A boy in my ward sang this song today. It was

so beautiful. They lyrics were so touching, and

I wanted to remember them.

GREATER LOVE

(written by Kenneth Cope)

If I had been there at His trial

And watched as they mocked Israel’s King

I wonder if I would have tried to turn their hearts to Him

If I had been there when they whipped Him

And watched as He fell to His knees

Would I have been willing to offer my own life for Him?

For His friends—how He bled

His love for them was just as He said

Greater love—He showed the greatest love of all

If I had been there at the hillside

When they fastened His hands to a cross

I’m sure that my heart would have broken

For His friends—for His friends

And that’s me if I do what He said

Would I give—could I live my life

Like Jesus—Jesus?

Well, now it’s been years since His lifetime

But He and His love still remain

And all that I want is to be like Him

He was all I hope to be

I would give my life to be

The kind of friend Jesus was to me

Greater love

Internship

I got an internship! 

I now work at Keeler Thomas

This is me ready for my first day of work. It was

a little overwhelming, but I like it. Sometimes it's a

little weird seeing myself in business clothes, but I

like it. I am super excited to learn and gain experience. 

Valentines Day

I have a little catching up to do. For Valentines Day
Ally, Kayla, and I wanted to heart attack Andy's house
while he was. We wrote on a lot of the little hearts cheesy
pickup lines or love quotes. We had a good time.

 On Valentines Day, Andy invited us girls over for
dinner. I was excited for it all day. I actually love
 Valentines Day even though I never have a Valentine....
Well that is a lie. My mom is always my Valentine and
she is the best!


When we got there we walked into a candle-lit hallway

and a candle-lit kitchen with 3 roses, 3 boxes of chocolate
and 3 cards with our names on them.

We each took turns reading our cards out loud

And then ate yummy fondu.

And we ended the night with a couple group shots
and watched a movie.

Thanks Andy for making our night so fun!

Boys are....

Time and time again I am reminded of how... silly boys

can be. It amazes me how differently boys and girls think.

I have been especially aggravated with boys lately, and I

am on an "anti-dating" mode (probably wont last long).

However, last night I read this paragraph in my book :

"Everyone has something of beauty about them. In the beginning

 for me, it was Ky'e eyes I noticed, and I love them still. But loving 

lets you look, and look, and look again. You notice the back of the

 hand, the turn of a head, the way of a walk. When you first love,

 you look blind and you see it all as the glorious, beloved whole, or 

a beautiful sum of beautiful parts. But when you see the one you 

love as pieces, as whys-- why he walks like this, why he closes

 his eyes like that-- you can love those parts, too, and it's a love

 at once more complicated and more complete."

I don't really know what to say except for I really love this. 

Yes, boys and girls are so different, but when you love

someone you learn to love (almost) everything about them.

I can't wait until I find love like that. A love so deep that

all of their annoying behaviors and immature moments can

be looked over and loved.

Quotes

Sometimes all you need is a good quote

to lift you up. Thanks to Pinterest you can find

a plethora of them. Here are some of my favorites.