Gethsemane

I am telling you, I cannot stay away from songs!

Let's get real, it is Sunday which means I listen to Sunday music.  This is especially true on Conference Sunday.  It is like I want extra lots of goodness inside of me to load up for the week to come.

I drove up to my parent's house today (I know, totes presh) and on the way back with my sister tonight after ranting and raving about things that are probably not okay to post on the internet (look, I do have a filter sometimes) I put this song on.  There is something about it that just reaches out and soothes my soul.

I remember the first time I ever heard this song.  I was a lonely missionary.  I was serving with the ever lovely Sister Abby Holt and I was as sick as all get out.  I had an infected gall bladder that no one would diagnose and so we diligently pushed on, serving the Lord to the best of my capabilities.  I am sure that the work would have been so much different in that area at that time if Sister Holt had served with any other Sister, but the Lord put us together for many reasons.  One, she was my brain half.  Two, she always knew how to take care of me.  More than any of that, she loves unconditionally and I was sorely in need of that.

Anyway, we put this CD in after a very trying day I am sure, and when this song came on I BAWLED.  Like literally sobbing in the car.  I remember thinking "It doesn't matter.  It doesn't matter that I feel sick or what ANYONE thinks of me right now, my Savior suffered and died so that He could know what I am feeling.  He has been there through it all so that he would know what this moment and every other difficult moment ever in my life feels like".  And after that, even though my mission was like a personal Gethsemane and even though I have had many days where I just wanted to give up, I know that I can't.  My Savior literally lived and died for me.  He suffered and bled to know what I am going through.  He knows me individually and He loves me individually.

So, if today is a "Gethsemane" day for you, or if you have one in the future, listen to this song.  Let it heal your heart just a little bit.  There is something powerful in the juxtaposition of the idea of me watching the Savior suffer and then later, Him having to watch me suffer.  The gratitude that is evident throughout the song helps me remember that I do have so much to be grateful for.

Let Him heal you.  Be willing to let Him in.  No matter how big or small your burden may seem, He is always willing to carry it.

#ldsconf

Don't get me wrong, I truly do love General Conference.  There is something exciting about laying around in my pajamas for two days listening to counsel from the Living Prophets.  Sorry, that sounds sacrilegious.  I really do listen, honest.  I just love that this part of my worship does not require me dressing to the nines in order to do so.  But I digress.

The last few years I have missed out on at least one session of conference for one reason or another.  However, surprisingly, this time around I was able to listen to almost every single second of all the sessions of conference.  I loved it.  My friend Sara and I kept texting back and forth asking each other how the General Authorities could have known that we needed to hear those exact words spoken this weekend because they kept talking about things we had been talking about earlier in the week.  

However, one of the best parts of conference for me was the #LDSconf on twitter.  Seriously, I could hear some amazing quote, then pop on twitter and like it instantly.  No more waiting for the ensign.  None of this waiting for someone to hopefully make some cute printable and post it on Pinterest.  No.  I could use the church's social media feed to instantly have access to thousands of powerful one liners that one day I will look back on and be grateful for.  

Thank you social media for helping me continue to be inspired by the words of our Living Prophets.     

Disney Princesses

Guys, I always wanted to be a princess.  Secretly, I still do.  sssshhh...

No, but in all seriousness...here's the whole story.

I am the oldest of six girls.  I have one older brother, but wellll...I am the oldest.  Let's be real.  As the oldest girl, I had a ton of responsibility as a kid.  I did a lot of babysitting, changed a lot of diapers, and grew up a lot faster than any of my younger siblings have had to. I honestly don't remember when my dad started calling me princess.  For years, that was my special name.  None of my other sisters got to be called princess.  That was my thing with my dad.  Now, of course, he calls all of us princess, but part of me thinks it is because he just cannot remember all of our names and "princess" is just easier.  But I digress.

I wanted to be everything that a princess stood for.  I wanted to be beautiful, sure, but I had my dad there reassuring me constantly that I was, so that wasn't something that I ever worried about as a child.  But I wanted to be a helper like Cinderella, and I wanted to be brave enough to do what I knew was right like Snow White did.  I wanted to be courageous like Mulan and be able to be my own person like Ariel.

As I have grown, more Disney Princesses have emerged.  And I have realized that I still want to be like them.  I want to be tenacious like Rapunzel.  I want to be bold like Merida.  I want to be brave even when I am scared.  I want to chase my dreams like Tiana.

While there is much to be said about princesses, I know that one day when I hopefully have kids I will encourage them to be like princesses too.  Because who knows what other things those princesses can teach us?

The Magic of Disney

This is something I have been thinking about since we talked about princesses in class.  I LOVE Disney.  It comes in large part from being raised by my dad, who loves Disney more than any grown man I have ever met.  If one could live in Disneyland, I am sure my dad would be the one to do so.

I grew up on Peter Pan, The Great Mouse Detective, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.  Disney was my life blood for many years.  I never understood (and sometimes still don't) why people didn't want to sit down and just watch a good old classic Disney film instead of the new latest and greatest action flick that had just come out.

I don't know if I could ever tell you what my favorite Disney movie is.  Growing up, I loved The Great Mouse Detective.

I am not going to lie, I had spunk...I was like Olivia.  I knew what I wanted and was determined to be part of all the action involved to get it.

I loved The Goofy Movie...there is something about a good pop song that just makes your day!

And I loved Disney Princesses...but that is a post for another day.

I am grateful for my dad.  For the influence that he had over my media choices as a child to help me to continue to pick quality entertainment to this day.  I am grateful that he instilled in me a love for good things.  I am glad that I love these movies because I feel like they help keep the kid in me alive.  And who doesn't want that?

The Lake House

Have you ever tried to explain to someone why you love a movie?

Sometimes it works out SO well.  They really get the concept of the movie that you are explaining and everything just fits.

Then you fall in love with The Lake House and no one understands what you are talking about.

And really, why would they?  Two people are able to write letters back and forth even though they are separated by two years.  What connects them?  The lake house that they both lived/are living in.

It is such an amazing story of love, friendship, loss and learning to trust in timing...which is a weird concept, but it is true.  Sometimes it is about letting go and sometimes it is about holding on for all it is worth.

I couldn't fall asleep tonight.  I don't really know why, maybe it is because I have been staying up far too late this week doing all sorts of things for school.  And so, in order to cope with my need to be awake, I watched The Lake House.

Most people don't understand why I love it.  But well, don't knock it til you try it, okay?

#twitteraddict

I MAY have started using twitter.  This isn't to say I didn't have a twitter before...I just didn't really use it.  But, and I don't know why really, a couple of weeks ago I just started using my twitter like nobody's business.

I like twitter because I feel like it is my avenue to vent my feelings without a filter.  I don't have all that many "followers" and those who do follow me that I actually know don't really check their twitter feed all that often.  This makes me feel like I am able to just vent whatever I am feeling in the moment.

I can't really do that with the big 'ol fb.  There are too many people who would, I don't know, call me and ask why I am so freaked out...or tell my mom...which could be worse...when really I am just being hormonal or angsty and freaking out about something that doesn't deserve a freak out.

I also like twitter because I feel like I can give updates more frequently on the mundane things of my life and not feel like a total #weirdo.  If I am in the middle of a paper or a project, I tweet about it.  It helps me feel motivated in a sense...I get to constantly talk about how much more I have gotten done on whatever it is that I am doing.

However, I seriously HATE retweets. I don't care what your friend said that was funny...I follow you, not your friend.  Or, if you are a celeb, I really don't need to know more about what your fans think of you.  Thank the heavens that I can turn of retweets.

I don't know everything about twitter yet.  But I am definitely enjoying the learning process.

Cinderella Jeni James style

Once upon a time (okay, this summer) I justified buying myself a Kindle.  And guys, I love it.

But that is not the point.  The point is, every once in a while I go to the Amazon store on my Kindle and look for books that are free and fun.

Or that have a preview I can read...

And then I read that preview and become addicted to it and well...if the book is cheap I buy it.

That happened this week.  I blame it on the killer cold that I had but well, I had a lot of time that I just wanted to spend laying in bed doing nothing.

And that is what I ended up doing, let's get real folks.

BUT, whilst doing that, I read this book by Jeni James called Cinderella.

I know, I know, you may not like fairy tales, but this is a new twist on an old classic.  The prince is awesome and knows who Cinderella is the whole time, long before there is a ball.  His whole goal is to help Cinderella find her self confidence.

Anyway, there was a whole section that really stood out to me.  Ella is talking to the prince, and he is trying to convince her to stand up to her family.  They are talking about failure...and what the prince says is amazing.

"So?  So you fail.  It is alright.  We all fail.  Every single one of us.  It is part of life, my dear.  You just pick yourself back up and move forward again.  you certainly do not have to be perfect the very first time you attempt something new."

And then he teaches her about her worth...

"...once you see your true worth, once you know exactly who you were meant to be--not what you believe you are--no, think past that to your destiny.  Until you embrace all the world has to offer you, then you will never be free within your own heart.  You will always be trapped within yourself, reminding your soul you are not worth what others have.  Whether you fail or not is not the question here, you will most certainly fail many times.  What you need to ask yourself is whether you are ready to become all you were destined to be."

Guys, it is alright to fail!  We are not here to be perfect, rather we are here to try.  More than that, we are here to figure out who we really are.  Once we know who we are and what we are supposed to be (whether that is knowing who we are as children of God, and knowing who He wants us to become or knowing what to do with our life) then our life becomes so much more.  We are able to get outside ourselves and become what we were meant to become.

And that, my friends, is why I read fairy tales...because hidden within them is the answer to life's secrets.

Who Says

I just can't stay away from music.  I guess part of the reason is because it fills me.  It reaches a part of me that other forms of media cannot.  I love to listen to music, especially when I am alone.  Then I can rock out in my car or room and just...enjoy life.

I love this song by Selena Gomez because it was the first of its kind...at least in my generation to reach out to my peeps.  This song was such a boost for me during a time in my life when, well, I needed it.  Even now, when I hear it, I can't help but feel happy.

I love this song because it helps me remember that I am beautiful the way that I am.  I swear I hate this part of the semester.  It always happens that in at least one of my classes (or all of them) I always hit a point where we talk about eating disorders, then the influence of the media, then bullying, then the thin-ideal and on and on and onandonandonandon.  And well, lets face it.  I am fat.  Don't try to talk me out of it because it is true, okay?  And I don't get asked out on dates...I don't fit the "byu ideal" for what a girl should look like.

And so, I turn to music.  I turn to songs like this to remind me that I am good just the way that I am.  That my Heavenly Father made me the way that I am for a specific reason.  That it is fine to be me.  And that even if no one but me can see that, it is okay because He does.

And, well, so does Selena Gomez.

Don't You Worry Child

Once again, I am posting about a song.  In case you didn't figure it out by now, music is probably my number one form of Media.  It is my go-to when I am having a crappy day, or a most excellent adventure, or anything in-between.

But I digress.

For the longest time I had NO idea what the lyrics were to this song.  I just liked it because it was SUPER boss to dance to in the car.  No joke, it would come on the radio and I would turn the music up as loud as I could stand it and dance like no one was watching.

And then, one day, I heard the radio announcers...commentators...you know, the little people who secretly live inside the radio of my car and tell me all about the music I am listening to.  Those people.  Glad we are all on the same page.  Anyway, the radio munchkins were telling me about this song and how THEY had just figured out that the lyrics were "Don't you worry, don't you worry child, see Heaven's got a plan for you.  Don't you worry Don't you worry now."

AWESOME, right?

Isn't it so true, though?  We don't need to worry, because Heavenly Father has a plan for us.  We may not see it all right now, but He does have a plan.  It may take a lot of heartbreaks and bumps along the road, maybe some wrong turns on our part and figuring out the path, but as long as we trust in Him we can never go wrong.

Now you are going to love this song too, I just know it.

Just Give Me a Reason

Guys, I am in love with this song.  I am sure I say that about everything that I post about on this blog, but really, I am posting about Media that is influencing me, and well...I really don't let media that I don't like into my life, so sorry suckers, you have to read about the stuff that I do really like.

I heard this song on the radio the other day and fell in love.  The musicality is phenomenal and the emotion behind it is so powerful!

I don't generally listen to Pink.  Bless her little heart, she likes to use foul language a little too often for my taste. However, when this came on the radio, it really touched me.


I really feel like my whole life is about learning to love again.  Learning to let go of the pains that have been caused in the past (and the pains that I am sure that I have caused others to feel) and just learn to love. To let go and feel something for once, darn it all.  Most of the time, however, I hide.  I shelter my heart and don't let people in.  And then I wonder why I feel so alone and unloved all the time.  It is a vicious cycle that NEEDS to stop.


Anyway, on to the song.

This song is about two people who have a HUGE communication gap in their relationship and are not talking about the things that they are worried that the other person is thinking about them.  It causes a lot of unnecessary stress for these two people who obviously love one another quite a lot.  Neither one wants to let their relationship fall apart and this song is about how they are willing to fix what is wrong.  

I love how she says that "We're not broken, just bent, and we can learn to love again!"

While this is true for love between, well...people in love, I feel like it applies in a broader sense as well.

Guys, none of us are really broken.  We have a Savior who heals all wounds and helps to lift us up and make us whole once more.  But are we willing to let Him in, to fix the places that we feel may be a little bit bent and then open our hearts to love once more?

Little Things

Okay, okay, I'll admit it.

Iloveboybands.

This is a weakness that hearkens way back to the 90's...growing up on N'Sync really did a number on me.  Justin Timberlake is still sexy an excellent musician...

But I digress.

I have been so happy lately that boy bands are coming back!

And more than that, that they are making excellent music.

Guys, I don't know if you realize this, but it is so hard to find music that validates you for who you are.  That makes you feel loved and important and beautiful for being you.  But in the past year or so, there have been a couple of songs that have come out that have done just that

And Little Things by One Direction does just that.

It is more than just saying "hey girl, I think you're fine, be my girlfriend"  No, this song taps in to the insecurities that all women feel and helps us understand that it is okay.  That our insecurities are often the things about us that make us lovable.

Do we see ourselves as lovable?  Do we find the lovable qualities within ourselves, or do we constantly tear ourselves down because we don't think that anyone can love us?

I want to issue you a challenge.  Instead of looking in the mirror today and seeing the new gross zit on your face or those couple of extra pounds that midterm stress eating brought on, I would encourage you to find your endearing qualities.  Find the special dimple when you smile, or the way that you care for and love the people around you.  See the daughter of god who serves the women around her as she goes visiting teaching.  See the individual who is striving to become more like Christ each day.

See what others see in you.  Accept the compliments that they give you.  Because they see the good in you.  So why don't you?

I'm only posting the lyric video, because I strongly feel that seeing the lyrics brings more power to the lyrics.  However, you can also head on over to YouTube yourself and see the regular music video.

Rise of the Guardians

Oh. My. Gosh.

You guys, this movie may have just changed my life.  And by just, I mean on Monday.  And by changed my life I mean may have become my new favorite movie.  And that is hard to do, I tell you what.

Rise of the Guardians was probably my favorite part of President's Day weekend.  And I did quite a lot during my three day joyous celebration away from school.  But to be able to go and watch a movie that was all about learning who you are was so joyous!

I loved this movie for the following reasons...

1. It was fun!  I feel like good movies are fun movies.  They keep you engaged in one way or another.
2. I fell in love with the characters.  No, not literally in love, though when I found out that Chris Pine was the voice of Jack Frost I might have melted a little inside...thank the heavens for Chris Pine...Anyway, I fell in love with each individual character, their personality, their quirks and passions.  Jamie!  And Sandy!  Oh goodness, if you haven't seen this, you need to.
3. This movie made me want to find out what drives me.  I feel like sometimes I am Jack Frost.  I am going through life and school, not really knowing why I am doing so.  I need to find what makes me who I am just like Jack does in this movie.  That REALLY resonated with me.
4. I loved the ending.  LOVED the ending.  That's all I will say.  

Go see it.  It is in the dollar theatre, so even if you hate it, you only spent a dollar on it.  Really, it is worth your time!

A Pep Talk

So, there I was.  Studying cramming for my Abnormal Psych midterm when suddenly on the google doc there was a link to this video.  Some good soul had helped us have a study break.

Guys, I loved this!  Maybe it is because it is almost one in the morning, but I want to BE this kid!  I want to help others reach their potential!

Here are some of my thoughts:

Do I take the time to reach out to others?  To give them the pep talk that they need?  To give one to myself?

Am I stuck in boring?  or am I really "gooder than that"?

Which path are you taking in life?  Are you choosing the best path for you? Even when that path is lined with rocks, sticks and even glass?

Do we take the time to see what our potential for awesome is?  We have so much that we can bring to this world, but do we realize that?  Do we take time to dance?

I love the cinematography of this video, the lighting and the different camera angles that they use.  I feel like this really helps to bring in the message that is being shared.

For me, media is about more than the message.  It reaches beyond that and in to how you share that message.  Are we limiting our viewing experiences because we only "like" one type of media?  Are we taking the time to explore new genres, to see new places and spaces, to listen to new artists and to read what different authors have to say?

Sometimes we have to break out of what we are used to and find something fantastic.  That is what I found with this kid...Kid President to be exact.  Who would have thought that a little boy would have so much to teach us all.

Now go be awesome.

Small Enough

This is one of those songs that got me through so much on my mission.  I wish that I could say that my mission was the best time of my life.  Honestly, it wasn't.  Did I meet a lot of amazing people?  Yes.  Did it change my life?  Yes.  But it was also one of THE most difficult experiences that I have ever gone through,  My soul and body were pushed to their limits in the eleven months that I served as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  And so, I did what I always do.  I turned to music.

As I was getting ready this morning, I heard this song again.  I firmly believe in the power of music, to not only take us back to the place that we were when we first heard a song, but to also help us heal and move forward.  All day today I have been thinking about my mission, about how it changed my life and how I have changed since my mission.  I am so grateful to this song for the power of change that it brought to me.

Over and over, Mindy Gledhill sings "Oh great God, be small enough to hear me now."

How often do we feel that way?  That our Father in Heaven is so great and powerful, but that we need him to just be small enough to hear and understand us in our hour of need.

We know that he was there for others, like Mindy points out, but do we have the faith that he will be there for us now?

I can promise you that I have seen him be there for me.  Let him be there for you.

The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

Guys, I have a new media...addiction?  Obsession?  Love?

Maybe all of those fit this new youtube sensation that I stumbled upon earlier this week.

I had heard about The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, but I was skeptical.  I am a big fan of Pride and Prejudice itself as a novel (I even got a friend of mine who is a boy to read it when we were in the eighth grade.  Because I talked it up so much.) and I love the Kiera Knightly version of the movie, but the more modern retold versions are touch and go for me.

So, when I heard that there was a youtube vlog all about Lizzie Bennet, I was wary.  There was no way that it could be as good as the books, I thought to myself.

Then I watched it.

Guys, it is hilarious.  Mind you, there is cursing throughout the series so if that is something that is going to bother you, don't look in to it.

But honestly, I am in a love-hate relationship with this youtube channel.  I want to just skip ahead past the part where Lizzie whines about Darcy...but then you miss out on so much.

There is so much that makes this unique.  Instead of showing all of the characters on screen, Lizzie and her sisters (and Charlotte) act out everything that Lizzie is experiencing.  They are doing costume theatre and it is fantastic.  You see a different side of each character because you see them solely from Lizzie's point of view.  Sometimes you meet those characters later on, but some of them I have yet to meet.

If you are looking for a great break from studying, this would be it.  However, I would caution you...you miiiight get sucked in.  You have been forewarned.

And now, my friends, the Lizzie Bennet Diaries:

A Little Like Mia

This week I watched Disney's Princess Diaries

I have to admit, I often feel a little like Mia...no, this isn't secret confession time where I tell you I really AM a Princess ("a...a Princess? Shut Up!")  No, I feel more like the awkward, insecure part of Mia Thermopolis.

I have to admit, I have both read some (not all) of the books that the movie is loosely based off of and seen the movie dozens of times.  And in this case, I like the movie so much more.  I guess it is because I can relate to the character in the movie, who is much less sure of herself and of her relationships with the people around her, than I can with the angry angsty teenager in the novels.

For anyone who has met me, I don't seem like a Mia Thermopolis on the surface.  I am more loud and outgoing (kind of like Lily).  But I still feel a lot like Mia.  I struggle to know if a boy likes me, always wishing that the cutest ones would just walk right up and sweep me off my feet.  I am probably missing a lot of Michael moments, missing times where someone totally unexpected is looking at me the same way I am looking at the Josh Bryants of the world.

One day I hope to be more like Mia is in Princess Diaries 2...but I guess that is a post for another day.

P.S. This is one of my favorite scenes.  I am a firm believer in the knowledge that it sometimes takes someone else helping us see our beauty for us to see it ourselves.  Sometimes a little makeover can go a long way in helping our inner beauty shine through.

Wonder

Have you ever seen Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium?

I distinctly remember the first time that I saw this movie.  I cried.  Quite a lot in fact.

There is something inherently magical about having someone else help you find your innate worth.  It seems to me that unless we have someone in our lives who can be the instigator, the one who sees something greater in us that we see in ourselves.  That person then helps us to open up our hearts so that we too can see our great worth.

There are two things that this movie made me want to do with my life.  First, it made me want to find my own "sparkle".  It made me look inside myself and find out what made me unique and special.  I am pretty sure that this is one of the things that helped me start to gain a sense of uniqueness and self worth.    Second, it makes me want to be a Mr. Magorium.  It makes me want to see the goodness in others and help them find their own potential.

I love the sense of whimsy that exists in this movie.  If you haven't seen it, I would strongly encourage that you do.

Validation

I feel like this has been my goal for so long in life that I honestly don't know when it started.  I love to give out honest, validating comments.  To let people know that they are truly loved, appreciated and VALIDATED for who and what they are.

Then I started working at my current job and realized that validating people, especially people who are under a great deal of stress, is key in life.

We made this video part of the training that new hires go through in my office.  I really do believe in the importance of validating others.  Cheesy musical numbers aside, the message of this video really hits home to me.  We CAN make a difference to others.  We CAN influence the lives of other people.  Maybe all it takes is smiling at them.  Maybe it is in a simple conversation while walking home from campus or while waiting for class to start.  Maybe it is in taking that girl in your ward on a date or saying "yes" to a date with that boy.

You never know what will boost someone's sense of self-worth.  But why risk not taking the opportunity by staying inside of our shell?

Reach out.  Reach up.  Spread some joy today.  Validate someone.

Just Let Me Cry

If there is one thing that I love about Sundays, it is the music that comes along with that special day of the week.  There is something about my "Sunday Music" that has the power to recharge me for the rest of the week ahead.

I am a firm believer in the power of music.  I love the way that the lyrics of a song can connect to you in a way that not much else can.

I found this song at the end of an extremely...crummy day.

And well, let's just say that cry I did.  However, I am glad that I found it.  I needed that release.  I needed to be able to cry about how awful of a day I had just experienced and how difficult things had suddenly become.  I needed a moment to turn to my Father in Heaven in prayer and really open up to Him, asking why things had to be so difficult now.

And honestly, without this song I would have just stayed mad.

You've Got Mail

Do you ever have those movies that change the way you think about love?  Now, I understand the the love you see in movies is not real life love.  However, until I fall in love myself, I will keep believing in movie love and the power of happiness that it brings.

You've Got Mail has got to be one of my all time favorite love movies.  Mostly because I feel like this is how all of us experience love in one way or another.  We go through life not expecting to be swept off our feet.  Then, like Kathleen experiences, a new friend that we meet changes the way that we see something.  Joe helps her to be more confident in herself as a business owner.  He helps her to see that she is so much more than the owner of a children's bookstore and that she doesn't have to take the attack on her store by Fox Books lying down.  All without ever meeting.

Once Kathleen and Joe do meet, the love that develops is one that I feel is very realistic.  They are friends first.  I feel very strongly that if you are not friends first, then your love is going to be harder to maintain.  You have to develop that love later, and it will be harder.

The ending of this movie makes me cry...every time. I am such a sap.  Truly I am.

"I wanted it to be you.  I wanted it to be you so badly."

AAAH!!  it gives me butterflies and makes me smile just typing it.

So, so, so beautifully good.  Has it seriously distorted my views and expectations on love?  Most likely.  Do I mind?  Not so much.

And now, ladies and gents...You've Got Mail.

Touched

I have a secret confession to share...

I may be slightly addicted to SYTYCD.  For those of you who are not fans of hashtags and acronyms and the last eight years, this is So You Think You Can Dance.

However, I am pretty selective in my SYTYCD viewing habits.  I never watch auditions.  I hate how many commercials there are and how you have to watch the awkward dancers as well as the good ones.  If there is a good audition, they will show it again, so I am not worried.  I also would much rather watch it once I have recorded it on my parents' DVR or on hulu as opposed to on tv...again, too many commercials (do you think we can start a letter writing campaign to fox about the horrid ratio on their station of commercial to tv viewing time?)

But I digress.  What I was really here to tell you is that I have a secret love affair with SYTYCD.  In fact, sometimes I watch that instead of doing my homework...and yes, tonight was one of those nights.  sssssh, don't tell my teachers...

This is one of my favorite dances from season 8.  I always LOVED watching Melanie dance, and this dance of hers happened I THINK on the top twenty episode, though if i am wrong, then you can let me know.

I was blown away.  Literally blown away when I saw it the first time.  It still touches me every time I watch it.

There is something so magical about dance.  About letting your soul speak to the audience through your movement.  This is hard to do when you are at a live performance, and I feel like it is even harder to catch if you are watching it on TV.  So for me, when I watch this piece, I am blown away not only by the fact that it moves me deeply, but by the fact that it DOES move me deeply.

I firmly believe that we, as human beings, are here to be touched.  To see the hand of God in all aspects of our life.  And when I can feel my Heavenly Father reaching out to me through something I see on TV that isn't made by the church, it is another evidence that we are all brothers and sisters and that we all have the light of Christ within us.

And so, I bring you "Turn to Stone" danced by Melanie and Marko.  Be touched.

A Day-Changing Song

Have you ever had one of those days that just...suck?  Where you just hate the world and everyone in it, yourself included?

I like to think that those days don't come along very often.  That generally we are a happy-go-lucky kind of people.  That I am a happy-go-lucky kind of person.

However, I know for a fact that those bad days do happen.  That I get down on myself and that I don't like the way that I look or that I feel or whatever.  That I hate how I reacted to someone at work or that I forgot to do my reading for class.

That's when I turn to music.  I feel like there are very few things that can instantly turn my day around, but there are certain songs that can.  This song is quickly becoming one of those day-changing songs.

It started when I had to drive to my brother's fiance's bridal shower last Saturday.  The weather was terrible, I was freaking out about sliding off the road, and then this song came on.  I had never heard it before, and honestly, I fell in love!

Then, I heard it again earlier this week when I was getting ready for the day as I was listening to the radio.  It was a great way to perk up my day and help me get excited about everything that I had to do.

Now, I listen to it over and over.  It seriously makes me feel so GOOD about myself!  I love it!!

I really hope that this Britt Nicole girl knows how awesome she is for making this song.

And now, I bring you "Gold" by Britt Nicole

A New Adventure

I know, guys, I know.  It has been far too long since we have been on an adventure together.

But now we are embarking on a new one together.  I am taking a Media Family something something class for my major here at the good old BYU (yeah, yeah, I'm still here, laugh it up as much as you want).

As part of that class, we are supposed to blog twice a week about something in the media that has influenced us in some way.

Soooo, that is what I will be doing here.  I may also be blessing you with short anectdotes about my life.  If you want my real life story, go here instead.  That's where all the deep thinking happens.

Today, I want you to ponder...The Gilmore Girls.  I will probably talk quite a lot about this show over the course of this adventure because of the monumental impact that it had on my life growing up.

This is one of my favorite moments from the show, hands down.

I have always loved the dynamic between Jess and Luke.  And this, to me, is THE BEST moment between them.  They struggle to communicate, they struggle to get along, and so, in desperation, Luke simply shoves Jess in a lake.

One day I will do this.