Goodbye and Goodnight 2010

It's Cliche, I know. It's cliche to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new. But I think that is what traditions are for, to help us look back and remember to move on from our past and look forward to our future.

I spent some time today thinking about the past year, it's ups and downs and the many experiences that I have had. Here is the conclusion that I have come to:

This year has been a good one. The only times I have thought that it wasn't were when I was feeding and nurturing a general feeling of self pity.

Here is the summary of 2010 through Selina's eyes:

1. Yes, I broke off an engagement near the beginning of the year but it ended up being a good thing. Trials can become blessings if we allow them to.
2. I got a new job, not working with food.
3. I was a counselor at Foundations of Leadership and had a sweet experience getting to know some of the Freshmen and learning a lot about being a real leader.
4. I got a car!!!
5. Danny [= and his family
6. Kelsey, Kay Sea, Bucks, Chelsea, Missy and Kimmee= sweet room mates. I couldn't ask for better girls.
7. Josh and Sarah tied the knot:) A warm official welcome to the family goes out to Sarah. I'm so excited to have her in the family.
8. I got a promotion at work!
9. Last semester I got higher grades than I have during any semester here at BYU
10. I got accepted into the English Teaching program.

Overall, this has been an awesome year. I have learned a lot about myself and about the people around me. Whatever struggles I had last year I am putting behind me now. I will become better than I ever was, stronger and happier too. I have made the decision to learn from the past and to make sure that I am in the right place myself before judging others.

Along the lines of self improvement I have also had some other thoughts. I have a hard time making changes for a a year. Remembering them, keeping them, whatever the problem is, I have it. So I decided that I am going to make semester goals and as I keep them I will move onto more goals. Supposedly, if you tell people your goals you are more likely to keep them. So here goes:

1) Lose the weight that I have gained since coming to college.

2) Improve my overall GPA.

3) Go to the temple once a week.

Well, there they are. Also, as an update, I want you all to know that I am soo happy:) life is good as long as I decide that it is, and thats the simple truth.

Best wishes!

Tuff with 2 'f's

Dear friends and fellow bloggers,

Life is hard. It is hard to see eye to eye with someone else when each of you have different perspectives. It's hard to change yourself when you've already developed a pattern or a habit. Sometimes it's hard to be hopeful when you keep failing. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is "man up". Sometimes apologizing isn't enough. Sometimes it's going to hurt no matter what.

Sometimes it is exceptionally hard to wait for the light of dawn. But it will come. I have faith that the sun will rise, as it always does.

Living and Learning,
Selina

Things I Have Learned

1. There are some things, ideas, and people worth fighting for, so when you find them, don't let go.
2. Find inspiration in "ordinary" things.
3. If you are afraid to try something new, hold your breath and jump. It'll be worth it in the end.
4. Bliss is being completely happy, even when things aren't "perfect".
5. Know yourself first, but encourage good development.
6. Serve others.
7. If you love with all your heart, doubt has a harder time sneaking in on you.
8. Pray first, act later.
9. Make your life a choice. Choose to truly live.
10. Keep friends close.

Questions and Answers

Yesterday I got to have a long conversation with my mom about a few very important things. I find it interesting the information you can find out by asking the right questions. The conversation left me feeling great about what I am doing and where I am going. The affirmation from my mom was more than what I could ask for. I realize that sometimes we need to simply ask the right questions, when we talk to other people, parents, siblings, room mates, but especially when we pray.

Yesterday, I also spent a decent amount of time sincerely praying, by the end my focus had changed. My initial desire to have my question answered changed to a desire to fix a few things in my life first. My perspective changed from temporal to eternal matters and I realized how to get my life completely in order so that I can make those larger decisions.

Yesterday was full of realizations and full of new light:) I got a rush of excitement for life all over again:D

The real "I love you"

This is the real "I love you", regardless of what they do, you love them. When you are willing to swallow your own pride in order to help someone else.

Love goes beyond liking someone's personality and it surpasses the initial infatuation. When the bad days rain down and the baggage is exposed those that love you are still standing, right there next to you. It doesn't matter if there is a day that you don't see eye to eye on everything because you know that you will work it out. And the reason that you care enough to work through differences? Because you know who they really are, who they truly are and you love them for that. And the best part is that they love you for you too. That when you tell them stupid mistakes that you've made, they don't judge you or freak out on you, they stop and listen to what you have to say; they listen heart to heart. And when you are done, they take you in their arms and let you know that everything is okay and that they are there for you.

Love is what makes that moment possible.

Faith in Every Footstep

The other day I called my mom on my lunch break (a pretty normal activity for me) and we got into a big discussion about faith and healing... There are times in our lives that even though we are living faithfully, bad things happen. For example, my mom was approached by some people that are very close to her and they essentially told her that she hadn't been healed yet because she didn't have enough faith. False. I was floored by the response. Do we not believe in trusting God? Do we not admire Job for praising God even in horrific suffering? Do we believe in a "candy machine" God who gives us exactly what we want? Or do we trust him to allow us to grow through hard experience and stand by us to comfort us? Do we trust him enough to be faithful even when he allows us to walk through the fire of affliction?

Life happens. Every affliction that we experience isn't necessarily because God wanted us to suffer or to force us to go through those trials. However, because we are mortal we are subject to travails of the flesh. Because our Heavenly Father loves us he will not always save us from suffering, but he will lift us up and refine us. We have had and will have times of difficulty and sickness everyone does because we are mortal. The beautiful thing about the Atonement and our Heavenly Father's plan is that he makes it all work out. Even when the clouds gather and things seem grim, there is always a light. If God protected all of his "faithful" children from hardships, then how would they compare? When tested, would they pass? If we never experienced trails because of our "faith" what would we say when we met Job? Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to grow and become the best people that we can. So, he doesn't always shelter us from the storms of life. He will only allow us to experience what we can bear, but he knows we can take a lot more than we think we can. It is not a matter of whether there is faith enough to heal; it is a matter of faith enough to trust when things don't look good from our human perspective to continue trusting our Father. How much faith does it take to walking over a bridge as opposed to taking tht first step into the stream, trusting that God will provide a way? My mother trusts her Savior completely, she is in the prayers of many, many people. She is on prayer rolls around the western United States. She is not experiencing this because she lacks the faith to be healed, but rather, God is showing her how much faith she has, how strong she can be when she relies on her Savior.

Sometimes we wonder, is it because I wasn't good enough? Would I be experiencing this if I were more righteous and faithful. Truth be told, I'm not sure that is the question that really matters. No matter the reason for our afflictions, we have a loving Father who has the power to comfort, heal and strengthen. So why dwell on the problem or perhaps the reason for the problem. When the problem is our own and our trials come from sin we need to understand and repent. But it's my opinion that the most productive thing would be to dwell in the hope of Jesus Christ. The faith and hope that through our afflictions we can be sanctified. That hope has the power to motivate smiles even when the world is weighing down on us. Jesus Christ is there to comfort and support us. He wants us to succeed more than we do. He is standing by waiting to help if we will ask. Sometimes it takes a lot of time to recover from various things that life throws at us. But in the meantime we can find true comfort in trusting our Savior.

Mother Pig and Piglet Picture, Animal Wallpaper - National Geographic Photo of the Day

Mother Pig and Piglet Picture, Animal Wallpaper - National Geographic Photo of the Day

I saw this picture and I thought it was adorable in a strange way. Also, it made me think if Wilbur. Just wanted to share.