I LOVE LIFE!! Just thought I'd drop a quick note and say that my life is absolutely wonderful, and I love it. There is quite a bit more to that, which I will have to tell later. I'm runnin' on 3 hours of sleep (I got home at 5 this morning and had to be up at 8 for church) and I'm REALLY tired, so I'm gonna go...sleep...now....and the rest of my story will wait until later.
So- I just got home from the best concert ever!! "Ceran Aid" was the LDS concert of the year! It featured artists such as Alex Boye, Dalynn Vale Baylis, George Dyer, Peter Brienhold, Katherine Nielson, Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band, and more. It was absolutely amazing! You know what the best part of it was? 100% of the proceeds went to the Ceran family! Wow. There are several way to donate, and I'll mention those later (just in case anyone but Andrea happens to stumble on this website) but this concert was by far the most entertaining. I bawled. This family is absolutely amazing. To learn more about their story visit the Ceran Family Fund page. This family really is an inspiration to everyone, LDS and non alike. Absolutely amazing.
Shout out goes to this amazing family. They're so strong. I know I wouldn't be able to do what they're doing. Check out the website- you'll see what I mean.
How to donate:
-Visit the Ceran Family Fund page. This has a listing of ways to help out the Ceran family
-Now through January 31, purchase the Samuel the Lamanite pop-up CD/DVD combo pack from the Liken website using the promo code CERAN. 100% of the proceeds go to the Ceran family, but only until the 31st.
-Purchase the Ceran Aid CD. Highlights from tonight's concert. Warning: May cause tears to flow freely- whether you knew the Cerans or not. Like I said earlier- I absolutely bawled. The CD also includes a song written by Ian Ceran, a victim of this terrible tragedy.
We really would like to continue to do all we can to help out this wonderful family in their time of need. Thank you for your support.
HELLO!! Welcome to 2007! It's been here for a week. Crazy huh? Well, welcome to life anyway. Christmas project 2006 is over, and it really did a lot for me. I don't really know how to explain it, though, I know what I'm going to change for Christmas project 2007. It'll be awesome.
I'm getting a puppy! Tomorrow. I'm getting a Keeshond.
This is what she'll look like (well, different coloring and such) when she grows up. Basically like a pomeranian only bigger. I'm so excited! I'm not positive what I'm going to name her yet, but it'll be something cute.
Other than that, I don't do much. I work. That's about it. I'm going on a date tomorrow, and I'm way excited. It's kind of a blind date, so that'll be interesting, but I'm still way excited. So, we'll see! I'll be sure and let you know about it. ;) Not that anyone but Andrea ever reads this, but ya know...I'll let her know about it anyway.
Shout out today goes to... (insert your name here)!! You're awesome! Thanks for everything you do for me!!
Have a good night! I'll hit ya up again tomorrow! :D
I've been pondering some things associated with my christmas project.
When I started out on this project it was all about how comercialism is taking over the world as far as christmas goes, which I still believe to be true, BUT what I didn't realize is that in believing in the things that promote the comercialism (presents, santa, etc.) we are really believing in the reason for Christmas. I got a beautiful book from my dad entitled I Believe in Santa Claus by Diane G. Adamson in which she explains that if you believe in Santa Claus then you really believe in the Savior because that is what Santa Claus represents. The red and white, the night time visit, the presents, everything points to Christ if you know where to look for it. This is a children's book, but it is beautifully written, and will become a Christmas tradition for me, just because of the things that it teaches.
That's all the thought for today. I'm tired and have things to get done.
Alright, after that fun little break, it's back to the Christmas project. It's had some interesting deveolpments this past week. Well, interesting for me, maybe not for you.
I wish I could give everyone a piece of my heart. That you could all feel the same things I feel while doing this project. Sure, you can read this and you can see what I'm doing, and I do my best to describe my feelings, but it really doesn't give you a shadow of a glymps into what really happens.
This week I've been more focused on serving others. Maybe not that silent service (though, I have done some of that as well), but still, giving of myself freely and caringly.
One experience I had this week was with a young man at work. I would like to state for the record and for those who know me, yes, I do sort of like him, but that is not the reason for this service. I have a friend at work, and the other day he was working overtime to try and get a project done for an upcoming meeting. He was working late, and was tired of being at work (he told me so). So, I decided I was going to take him some ice cream to cheer him up. Little did I know how much this simple act of service would do for him. I ended up helping him with a project and doing what I was able to do so he could get out of the office as soon as possible, besides bringing him a little treat and some company. I noticed instantly that our friendship had grown, even a little bit. I, by giving service, got a great service and a stronger friend. There are many great blessings in doing service.
I'm not going to say all the things I did, because that's being boastful, and I don't want to do that. That's another reason I wish all of you could have a piece of my heart. That you could feel as I feel.
That's all for today. I'm cold and so I'm going to curl up in my little bed with a good book.
Shout out goes to this friend of mine. He works so hard and really is an essential key to the company. I don't think he gets appreciated enough. I've been trying to do my share, but I dunno if it's really getting through to him. Oh well, I'll keep trying.
Next time will be another adventure I'm sure! Until then, Happy Hot Chocolate Drinking!
So- I realize I haven't been keeping my christmas project updated so much....but lets take a little break for a second here, shall we? I was just looking over some old pictures from my first sememster at school, and thought I'd share them...especially with thos who were there or know those that were there. I'll add captions.
Alright, Time for Mary.
Mary was just your typical girl. She liked to have fun, she had a beautiful smile. She was kind, serving, everything you would expect from a faithful loving young woman. She was espoused to a young man who was just as good. They loved each other, and things were just working out right.
One day Mary was asked to go draw some water from the well. Being the obedient woman she was, she did so right away. However, while at the well something amazing happened.
We all know the story. It's the one most of the world thinks about all the year through. The angel appears to Mary, a virgin, and tells her she's going to have a son. The son of God. She will call his name Jesus for he will save his people.
However, the angel says something to Mary before all that. He knows that this will be hard for her to hear, so he reassures her before he declares anything that she is loved. She is chosen among women, highly favored, and loved by her Heavenly Father. Only after this does he tell her about the blessings and the child she is going to bear.
Now one thing y'all should know about this time. If a woman, especially an espoused one, was found pregnant before she was married her father had two options: 1- Disown her and hide her away, never to be seen from her disgrace, and never to be in touch with her family again. Almost like any record of her is wiped off the face of the earth. or 2- Her father would take her to door of his house where the people of her village would stone her to death. Both highly disgraceful, and both very painful for both parties.
Mary knew this. She had to. Yet when she was presented with this opportunity, she fell to her knees, bowed her head and said "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; Be it unto me according to thy word." She didn't hesitate. She knew that if this was from God then she would be protected and everything would work out for the best. She was willing to give up her very life for something she knew was from God. Mary had to have an extreme ammount of faith.
Up until this point Mary was just another girl. She had hopes, she had dreams. She probably had big plans for her life. She had girlfriends she would stay up late with and giggle about funny things that had happened to them. They would talk about the wife Mary was going to be and the husband Joseph would be. She had concerns. She cried, she laughed, she loved. She wasn't too different from me or you. But n this second, the second she uttered the phrase "Be it unto me according to they word" every little thing changed in her life. Everything.
This Christmas project is coming along nicely. I'm really connecting with the characters I had come to know, but they were always just scripture characters. Now they're becoming real people to me. It's amazing. You should try it sometime.
Next time- Joseph.
Have a good day y'all!!
It's a good thing I wrote down my project yesterday cause last night I started getting it going.
I read Luke 1:1-20 last night. We all know the story. Zacharias and Elizabeth can't have a baby. Zacharias goes to the temple to do his temple work, and Gabriel visits him, telling him that Elizabeth will bear a child. Zacharias questions, and becomes dumb and deaf for his lack of faith.
That's the jist of it. But last night I really tried to get past just the story and delve. Who was Zacharias? Who was Elizabeth? What was their relationship?
They were both EXTREMELY good people. They kept every part of the commandments without hesitation. They loved each other. They spent their days together. They were the model parents, only without children.
It's no conincedence that Zacharias was chosen to be working at the temple that particular day. Though, when the angel Gabriel appeared to him, he was frightened. It makes sense that the angel of the Lord would appear in His house, but Zacharias was still afraid. Gabriel told him not to fear. He was sent of the Lord and brought him good tidings. Notice how it's always good tidings from the Lord for those who are doing right? Gabriel tells Zacharias all the great and wonderful things his child, John the Baptist, will do. Zacharias and Elizabeth are good, worthy people. The perfect role models for the man who will prepair many of the people for Christ.
Zacharias doesn't believe Gabriel because of his and Elizabeth's ages. In the Liken the Scriptures series (click the link. You can thank me later), they have the First Christmas as seen through the eyes of Amelia. In this particular scene, there is a dialouge between Zacharias (Played by my cute uncle, Ken Eklof) and Gabriel (Beautifully portraid by Daniel Beck). In that dialouge Zacharias says that Gabriel must have mistaken him for a much younger priest named Zachariah who's wife's name is Mary Beth. Then Gabriel firmly but lovingly tells Zacharias that the message was meant for him, not Zachariah who's wife is Mary Beth. I never really thought about that until now. It was always just a funny little tiddy. But wheather Dennis Agle meant to or not, he put a deeper meaning in that silly bit of dialouge. To me that says that God really does know all of us by name, even those who have names as close as Zacharias and Zachariah. Only one small letter apart, but still two individuals. That's amazing to me.
Well, what's going on with Elizabeth? A bit later in the story ( I haven't gotten to that part in my reading yet, but we all know what happens) it plays out in my mind like this:
Zacharias is lead home, deaf and dumb. Elizabeth runs to the door, worried for her aging husband. He gives her a gentle kiss, and looks her in the eyes, telling his whole experience with just one look. Instantly Elizabeth's eyes fill with tears, as Zacharias lightly touches her now fruitful womb, and she nods.
Though this tender scene may have just been an offspring of movie magic, I can see it really happening. Elizabeth knew. She knew about the baby, as most mothers do when they have concieved a child. There's just something different. She was faithful, and most likely greatful for the chance. I think an angel may have appeared to her as well, and Elizabeth probably fell to her knees in gratitude.
Elizabeth was a wonderful woman, one that sometimes get passed over at Christmas, one who we should strive to be like. There are many attributes of different women in the Gospel and in the church that we should try to aquire. Elizabeth encompases a lot of them. Her outstanding faith, and the way she follows the commandments even though it seems as if she would never have the blessing of motherhood. She was unwaivering, and was blessed for it.
Next time- Mary- In the beginning.
That's all for now folks! Have a wonderful day! Get out and enjoy that snow if you have some! As for me, I'm gonna cuddle back up in my bed. It's too cold out in the snow. When I find my Navy P coat downstairs I'll go out and play. Until next time!
Obviously I didn't get around to typing out my project last night. I'm not procrastinating, I'm just...Well, I'm not procrastinating. In fact, I think I'll do it right now.
Rachel's Christmas Project 2006-
Basis: I believe that too many people are forgetting the true meaning of Christmas and focusing mostly on Santa and what they're going to give and get. I'm putting a nix on that in my own life, and focusing more on Christ.
Action: I'm thinking more about the events surrounding the birth of Christ and what they mean to me. I'm also taking a look at Jesus the babe, the boy, and the man. I also feel I'm going to be getting more familiar with the atonement and it's meaning as well. Though I'm not encouraging presents or if one has to be given, I'm not encouraging presents that don't direct my thoughts towards Christ, I will be giving gifts, but only to a select few, and those I have thoughtfully chosen. It's not because I don't love the rest of you or them or whatever, but it's just because that's something I feel I need to do.
Another thing that I'm going to try to do to not only strenghten the spirit in my home and my life, but also to help prepair me for my mission (more on that later), is this: I'm going to find one thing to do of service a day outside of myself. What this means to me is finding something, it doesn't have to be big, but it can be, and doing it for someone else. I'm going to clean my room for myself, but maybe I'll do the dishes before my mom asks me to, just cause. Or maybe I'll opt to stay home with mor-far so my mom doesn't have anxiety, and actually be there with him. Get him lunch and his medicine. Take Jen's kids on a field trip so she can rest. Or maybe I'll find something to do for a total stranger. Just something based outside of me. Not for me, but by me for someone else. After all, Christ did that with his whole life. He served and never complained. He did those things that no one else would want to. He washed his diciples' feet. He healed the sick. He made the blind see. He mourned with those who mourned. Comforted those who stood in need of comfort. He was the perfect example, and I feel that this season I need to follow that example.
So there you have the shell of it. I still haven't really started. I need to get going on that, but for now, I'm tired, and depressed. I know that isn't a good excuse, and doing the things which I have just described will help with both ailments, but right now... I just want to be tired and depressed. Tomorrow will be a better day. I'll start tomorrow.
