Quote of the Week

That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust, and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you.

~Alma 34:38

*~Thanks~*

With Thanksgiving only four days away, I thought I would do something I've been meaning to do since the beginning of November. I want to make a list of all the things I'm grateful for...well, not everything because it would take me a VERY long time. Consider this the short version. :) I'm grateful for:

Family. Jesus Christ. Music. Awesome Roommates. The Utah Jazz. Having a Car. Pictures and Photography. Cell Phones. Cocoa Bean Cafe Cupcakes. My Friends. Michael Buble. Books. Temples. Chloe and Sophie (my animals). The Color Blue. My Bed. BYU. Pink Daisies. History. Crossword Puzzles. President Monson (and the Twelve too!). The Scriptures. Electricity. Toilets. America. Water. All of my classes...even the hard ones. Thunderstorms. Great Teachers Over the Years. Grandparents. Heaters. Laughter. Shoes. Showers. Tissues. Libraries. Medicine. Ancestors. Singin' in the Rain. Opportunities to Get an Education. Clothing. My Guitar. Locks on Doors. Dancing. Comic Strips. Nature. Whitman, Van Gogh, Austen, Dickens. My Eyesight. My Ability to Walk. My Ability to Hear. FHE. My Singing Voice. Jeans. My Hands. Pens and Pencils and Paper. Harry Potter. My Winnie the Pooh Bear. Smiles. Love.

Like I said, this is definitely the short version. I actually had to restrain myself from continuing. But, this made me feel so happy. In fact, I'm also grateful for this wonderful holiday coming up that gives us an opportunity to remember what we are grateful for (even though we should do that every day). I love Thanksgiving, and not just because my 10th great grandfather, William Bradford, was at the first Thanksgiving, but just because it is a great opportunity. So, make your own list and enjoy a fantastic turkey...I'm mean Thanksgiving. hehe. :D

Quote of the Week

Don't waste your life in doubts and fears: spend yourself on the work before you, well assured that the right performance of this hour's duties will be the best preparation for the hours or ages that follow it.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Quote of the Week

Some of the secret joys of living are not found by rushing from point A to point B, but by inventing some imaginary letters along the way.
~Douglas Pagels

Headache

The worst kind of headache you can get is when it's brought on from all of the craziness happening in your life. Yes, they are unfortunate if you get them when you're sick or when your allergies kick in, but it is absolutely awful when you can feel your head start to hurt little by little because of all the thinking and problem solving you are trying to do.

At the moment, I am trying to figure out what jobs I should pursue/take and how to organize the rest of the classes I need to take at BYU before I graduate. Of course everything cannot be as easy as it was when we were in kindergarten; black and white, yes and no, right and wrong. Now, everything has to have complications. Extra things to worry about or factor in. Ugh! It's enough to make me want to pull my hair out! (Figuratively and literally...) And on top of everything that is running through my brain at the moment I also have to worry about all of the homework I have to do, including a 6-page paper/midterm for my Utah History class. I really love school, but sometimes I don't like the things it does to my stress...time...brain. Compare it to the way this common conversation goes between a parent and child. "I love you so much, but sometimes I don't love how you act." This relationship is exactly like my relationship with school.

Anyway, on a positive note, Glee is on again tomorrow night with Neil Patrick Harris guest starring. Yay! Hopefully it's great, which I'm sure it will be. What else? Hmmm...My birthday is in 51 days, so that means I have that much longer of being in my "teens." I'll feel so old once I hit 20.

Update: I went to the Paramore/Relient K/f.u.n. concert with Tatiana, Angela and Aric. It was AMAZING! Hayley Williams is basically flawless when she sings live. That girl has lungs!

I also got a haircut...with straight across bangs! *gasp* I never thought I would ever do that, but I actually really like it.

Thanks for letting me rant. My head feels so much better. Now let's hope the headache doesn't pick up where it left off, even though I need to.

Quote of the Week

But if we learn to think of it as anticipation, as learning, as growing, if we think of the time we spend waiting for the big things of life as an opportunity instead of a passing of time, what wonderful horizons open out!
~Anna Neagle

The Waiting Game

I have been home from BYU now for a week and a half and I really enjoy being home. Unfortunately the job market here has put a damper on my mood to say the least. I've sent numerous applications to places all around town and haven't heard a single thing back from any of them. I'm not just talking about a few places here; I've literally sent my application to 11 different places and I'll be looking for more places today.

Lucky for me, there is plenty to do while I wait for the elusive phone call. I'm taking classes in Provo this spring, so I have to drive down every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It hasn't really got to me yet, but I'm sure the monotony of the drive will reach me soon. My classes are fantastic though. Fundamental Literary Interpretation and Utah History.

I'm finally starting to get into classes solely for my major and minors and I'm thinking it is a good sign that I'm actually enjoying them. I can't believe that in just a couple years from now I'll be able to be a real teacher with a real job! I know people bag on the profession quite often and I say, let them. Yes, it's not the best paying job out there but it is something I can do that will make a difference in the lives of young people and at the same time be something that I enjoy.

Well, for now everything is a waiting game. I'm not a teacher yet, but I'm working towards it. I don't have a summer job yet, but I'm working towards it and this particular item is what I'm mostly focused on at the moment, so I hope I can find something soon. Dear job market, please perk up for a couple of days. For me? Love, Megan

Quote of the Week

“There is a serene and settled majesty to woodland scenery that enters into the soul and delights and elevates it, and fills it with noble inclinations.”
~Washington Irving

The Student Saga: Ending a Semester

So I'm sitting here in my history class listening to a discussion about gender change in world history. Not that the lecture isn't interesting, but apparently women are better at multi-tasking than men due to the excess of white matter on our brains, so that's my excuse.

The end of the semester is approaching much faster than I expected and I can't decide whether that's a good or a bad thing. Yesterday, I wrote out a list of about twenty projects that I have to complete before April 21, so right now I'm opting for bad. My motto lately has become "just take baby steps" because when you look at the whole of everything you are responsible for, it is slightly discouraging to say the least.

Also, I'll be taking classes during the spring and summer semesters, so when this semester is over I don't get a break. I'm really hoping I will enjoy classes more though, because after this semester I will be essentially done with my generals so it's just onto English and history classes!

I have been having major issues getting motivated lately. It's terribly awful actually. Just when I get pumped up enough to crack open a book or something, I see my guitar out of the corner of my eye, so I'll pull her out (her name is Jenny by the way...After one night watching Forrest Gump name his boat, it became suddenly clear). Then, I'll decide I'm hungry. Or tired. It is a never-ending, vicious cycle that is leading me to destruction.

In fact, I'm writing this blog entry right now as an alternative to doing the homework I desperately need to do...Alright, then bring on the literature lectures, music reading and public relations write-ups because I'm ready to finish up this semester with a vengeance! Next stop: motivation. Hopefully.

Quote of the Week

"Don't wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles and less than perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident and more and more successful."
~Mark Victor Hansen

The Return of The Student Saga

This will be quick, but I just wanted to let everyone out there who reads this (ha!) to expect another installment of "The Student Saga" very soon! You may recall the Pink Cheek Moments entry from awhile back and so now I will be bringing you more. "The Student Saga" is my way to share with you my musings about life as a college student; the ups, the downs...the craziness. Anyway, that's about it. Keep an eye out for it because I know you will be on the edge of your seats! I guess now I'd better get back to my actual life as a student so that I can have something to write about.

What a Little Love Can Do

I have just spent my Saturday afternoon watching Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and I must say that it is one of my favorite shows of all time. Perhaps we can backtrack a little. Ever since I was pretty young I wanted to be an interior designer and I have explored it as a career. But when it came down to it, I wasn't sure that should or could be my job even though I still enjoy it immensely as a hobby. Anyway, my point...

That show combines so many things that I enjoy in life. The beauty of a home, the spirit of a home and the care and compassion of people. Every time I watch the show, it inspires me to be better.

Actually, after the last time I saw the crew pull off one of those miraculous transformations I went in serious search of some opportunities to do some service myself. As it turns out, my roommate is in a social work class for her major so I tagged along with her on an opportunity in our community to watch children while their parents are in therapy.

It is always a great experience and even though I know I have millions of things to do in my own life, I just can't help but go because service is too important not to. It's true that when you lose yourself in service, your own problems are not an issue anymore and life is always better when you choose to help others. I look forward to when I become a teacher so that I can be able to do even more in my day-to-day life for the good of those around me. (Did I mention I declared my major as history teaching?! I'm really excited!)

So I just thought I would get on and add this little tidbit to my poor, abandoned blog and encourage anyone who happens to read this that the littlest things DO make a difference. Let's change this world together, because there is so much to do.