Things I Learned On My Trip...

So recently I went on a journey across the country with my family. I learned a few things that I thought I would share with ya'll ;)

• Packing takes a long time. 
• Rock chips will throw a wrench into your journey.... But hey, if that's the worst that happens, it's fine.
• You can only listen to your Ipod for so long. After awhile, it gets boring. And whenever people talk, you just want to hear what they say...
• Southern people are just GREAT! They are so nice and talkative. Here in Utah, people don't just talk to you. You do that awkward walk by. In the South, they will just strike up a conversation. I liked that. I liked it a lot.
• Zaxby's and Groucho's should come to Utah. Their food is really great. 
• In Illinois, Nebraska, and Iowa.. there is only one thing you see. Corn. Oh and the occasional soybean field. That's always fun. . . 
• Sitting in a car for hours on end takes a lot out of you. Which makes no sense to me. 
• Bugs (big ones) are a good way to exit a hotel quickly and early. 
• Some hotels are dumb. And close their pool really early. Like seriously, who closes a pool at 10?? That's just dumb.
• Some places have some really funny shirts. Shirts I should've bought....
• Border patrol. Should have gotten a picture there. . . Luckily I made it through :)
• Middle seat always holds the laptop. Fun stuff!! . . .
• Sharing a bed with your little sister is no fun.  My family says I'm crazy in my sleep.. geez...
• People in Illinois rally. I was there. It was awesome..
• It's a good thing I took my DS that I hardly use. Mom and Tyler would've gone insane. 
• The Alamo is a church. And it's smaller than you would think.
• The Mississippi is HUGE!!!!! Like seriously, I have never seen a river that big. 
• I want to live somewhere other than Utah when I'm married. Not forever, but just for a little bit. 
• There are a lot of different churches all over the place. One of them had a prompt board outside that said, "What do I have to do? Put an ad in the paper?-God" It was awesome.
• I like the beach. It's fun to run on. It's fun to just chill there. But it's really fun to play in the water! Diving into waves? My favorite part :)
• Everything is bigger in Texas. Grasshoppers? Yep.
• Humidity? Oppressive. You walk out that door, and it just hits you. It makes you feel gross. And sticky. And you feel the need to shower all day long.
• Hearing converts stories about their conversion strengthens your testimony a lot. 

It was a very educating and fun experience. I also learned that my family and I need no more family togetherness for quite some time :) 

I Won't Let Go

People. They make you happy, sad, confuse you, but most importantly, they surprise you. Sometimes you learn that they don't actually hate you. That maybe you are the reason for that awkward phase. That maybe, just maybe, things could go back to the way they were. *The only thing constant in life, is change." I don't know where this is from. But I've always liked it. Mostly because of its truth. It's a love/hate relationship. Change can be great. Change can suck. I get really attached to the order of things. Like people in my school classes for an example. It's hard for me to adjust to the new people. I also get attached to friendships. And the way these friendships go on. I like the structure of knowing you can always: text, FB chat, talk, hang. If any of these changes. It's really hard for me. I tend to stay in the past. I know I shouldn't. But I do. I really want what was mine. And usually, it never comes back, but is replaced by something as great. But inside, I still miss it a little. 

I feel like I should set goals for this summer. And I guess I should make them public. Or semi-public. 

• Be More Daring. *This is key. I know what it's about. And I'm really trying to accomplish this :)
• Run. Run. Run. Run.RUN. 
• Be better about scripture study. 
• Be more helpful. Yup. That's me. But seriously. 
• Do more yard work. A few reasons; I like my yard pretty. I like being outside. I like doing work that is physically demanding. 
• Maybe make some money. *Who knew. High school students need money..

Yeah this list could be longer. Maybe it will grow. Anyway. I'm just looking forward to this summer because of the possibilities it has. They. Are. Endless. Well that ends my little... heartfelt blog? Yeah, I don't know either.. . . . .. . . .. . .

This Could Really Be A Good Life

Here's somethings you might want to know if you are thinking about playing lacrosse:

• Be prepared to run. Long distances, sprints, mid distances, sprints. Did I mention sprints? Oh goodie, I got it in there three times. And to make it even MORE exciting, add a mouth guard in there. Limit of breathing, joyous!
• The season falls in Utah's bipolar season. One minute you are hot, the next, you are freezing your butt off. The other day for instance. I showed up in a thermal shirt, long pants, and shorts over my pants. 30 minutes later, my long pants were off, and thank goodness someone brought an extra t-shirt!!
• Exhaustion. Three games a week makes you so tired, that by 10 on Friday night, you are exhausted. And that week sometimes comes again. 
• Being hungry. ALL THE TIME!! Come home from practice, eat half the families dinner, and 2 hours later, you are scrounging the fridge for more food. 
• Coming home from games, and not wanting to take the kilt off. Comfiest. Thing. Of. My. Life. I love it so much. Probably more than I will love my first born. (haha oh just kidding, not that much :D )
• Naming your lacrosse stick. ( Rondo, thank you very much, also why I am numero 9 )
• Acting in ways around your team that you otherwise would not act......
• Being happy after an awesome workout! :)

I'm a fan of lax :) If this blog feels like I don't, you didn't get my vibe. I love it :) Oh so much..... 
=D Later. 

In My Head

Do you know how hard it is to try and forget something? Not that easy. Like those times when you were little (or in my case, this still happens) you saw a scary movie, and you try to forget it. But that one scary part will NOT leave your mind. Or thoughts. Thoughts are the worst for me. No matter how hard I try not to think about things, they come back to bite me. The human mind is a complex thing. Do I understand it? Heck no. Do I wish I knew more? Heck to the yes. Try forgetting someone. Someone that used to be one of your closest friends, but now you two hardly communicate, heck, you guys ignore each other. Can you forget them? No. And what's worse is, you see them all over the place. Can you tell I'm going through this similar experience? Yeah, it sucks. You want to get over it. Maybe you weren't meant to. But then what are you supposed to do? Life is confusing, mind boggling, frustrating, awesome, like a roller coaster. One minute you are on cloud nine, the other, you are confused.......
In other news...

• I'm trying to become a peer mentor:)
• Lacrosse has started, we beat Viewmont! 
• School is becoming more and more interesting
• Hawaii Five-0 was a rerun this and last week. What injustice is this??
• 3rd term is almost over.. then one more and SUMMER!
• It snowed. A lot. So much in fact, that our lax game got called at halftime, and when I got in the car, my hands were purple. PURPLE! I thought I was going to lose them. Don't worry though, they made it. *Hence why this is able to be written.

Well... That's it. :D 

Heaven

Heaven as written by a 17 Year Old Boy. 

This is excellent and really gets you thinking about what will happen in Heaven.
17-year-old Brian Moore had only a short time to write something for a class. The subject was what Heaven was like. "I wowed 'em," he later told his father, Bruce. It's a killer. It's the bomb It's the best thing I ever wrote." It also was the last.
Brian's parents had forgotten about the essay when a cousin found it while cleaning out the teenager's locker at Teays Valley High School in Pickaway County.

Brian had been dead only hours, but his parents desperately wanted every piece of his life near them, notes from classmates and teachers, and his homework. Only two months before, he had handwritten the essay about encountering Jesus in a file room full of cards detailing every moment of the teen's life. But it was only after Brian's death that Beth and Bruce Moore realized that their son had described his view of heaven.
It makes such an impact that people want to share it. "You feel like you are there," Mr. Moore said.. Brian Moore died May 27, 1997, the day after Memorial Day. He was driving home from a friend's house when his car went off Bulen-Pierce Road in Pickaway County and struck a utility pole. He emerged from the wreck unharmed but stepped on a downed power line and was electrocuted.
The Moore 's framed a copy of Brian's essay and hung it among the family portraits in the living room. "I think God used him to make a point. I think we were meant to find it and make something out of it," Mrs. Moore said of the essay. She and her husband want to share their son's vision of life after death. "I'm happy for Brian. I know he's in heaven. I know I'll see him.
Here is Brian's essay entitled:
" The Room.."
In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features except for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endless in either direction, had very different headings.
As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was one that read "Girls I have liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory couldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching.
A file named "Friends" was next to one marked "Friends I have betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed at."
Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've yelled at my brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done in My Anger", "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath at My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents Often there were many more cards than expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived.
Could it be possible that I had the time in my years to fill each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own handwriting. Each signed with my signature.
When I pulled out the file marked "TV Shows I have watched," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quality of shows but more by the vast time I knew that file represented.
When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test its size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at its detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me.
One thought dominated my mind: No one must ever see these cards! No one must ever see this room! I have to destroy them!" In insane frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards...
But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. Leaning my forehead against the wall, I let out a long, self-pitying sigh
And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared the Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled on its handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand.
And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that they hurt. They started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirled in my tear-filled eyes. No one must ever, ever know of this room.. I must lock it up and hide the key. But then as I pushed away the tears, I saw Him.
No, please not Him. Not here. Oh, anyone but Jesus. I watched helplessly as He began to open the files and read the cards. I couldn't bear to watch His response. And in the moments I could bring myself to look at His face, I saw a sorrow deeper than my own. He seemed to intuitively go to the worst boxes.
Why did He have to read every one? Finally He turned and looked at me from across the room.. He looked at me with pity in His eyes. But this was a pity that didn't anger me. I dropped my head, covered my face with my hands and began to cry again. He walked over and put His arm around me. He could have said so many things. But He didn't say a word. He just cried with me.
Then He got up and walked back to the wall of files.. Starting at one end of the room, He took out a file and, one by one, began to sign His name over mine on each card. "No!" I shouted rushing to Him. All I could find to say was "No, no," as I pulled the card from Him... His name shouldn't be on these cards. But there it was, written in red so rich, so dark, and so alive.
The name of Jesus covered mine. It was written with His blood. He gently took the card back He smiled a sad smile and began to sign the cards. I don't think I'll ever understand how He did it so quickly, but the next instant it seemed I heard Him close the last file and walk back to my side. He placed His hand on my shoulder and said, "It is finished."
I stood up, and He led me out of the room. There was no lock on its door. There were still cards to be written.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

I got this email from a friend of mine, and it really makes me think. It also makes me cry. It makes me cry because somewhere, I have a room like that. A room where I one day will weep with the Savior while he signs my cards. I am thankful for my Savior. He loves me for who I am. He knows my strengths and my weaknesses. He helps me through the trying times. He is the one I can turn to for peace. I love him so much. I dedicate this post to him. I dedicate it to all those that I love that are now in heaven. 

Must Have Done Something Right

Who knew how fun life could be? I certainly didn't know it could be this fun. It could be me, but I like to think my friends are changing my life for the better. It used to be that I would hang out occasionally.. After practice I would go home, After games I would go home. But little did I know, you CAN hang out after such things. Weird huh? Friday and Saturdays were the days that I would just chill at home. But being with friends? It's a party!! ( I love my home.. but it's good to get out. ) I'm on cloud nine at this part of my life, and I just don't want it to end. Hopefully it will not. ( I'm not positive on the correctiveness of wont/won't so I wrote it out.) Life is just absolutely positively awesome. The only thing that could make this better? World Peace. I'm sorry, I had to throw that in there. But the meaning behind this whole post? Don't take for granted what you have. Cherish the moments that you have with your buddies. Don't treat your buddies wrong, they make life awesome. Look deep for someone who might need you. Some people are good at hiding the fact that they need a friend. Be the one who discovers that secret, and then fix it. 
See. Aren't they awesome? I'm the black one with the great smile, and then they are all just gathered around me. If you haven't met them, be jealous, they are all super cool. 
K well have a nice week. I for one will have a week that will be so enjoyable, cause Lax season starts!!! :)
Later.

Smile Like You Mean It

Friends. They make life a party. Take today for instance. 

First off... All my classes are pretty insane. Insane as in jam packed with my way awesome friends. 

Secondly.. Lacrosse. Enough said. But I will elaborate. 

Conditioning is probably the best thing ever. I mean I'm working on my physique and hanging with my pals. Yeah it's pretty pro. 

So Nekel (The coolest, most white person I have ever met ;) ) and I (more so her) decided to go to Bowmans and party. Right now I bet you're thinking "Bowmans? How lame can these teenagers get??" If you are thinking this... you obviously have never been to Bowmans. It is the heart of K-town. 

Quick side trip. While I was headin' over to the wonderful supermarket, I passed a cop. Yeah, I was scared. For some reason I'm just afraid they will pull me over.. So I drove super cautiously. And then... Some chick almost pulled a left turn in front of me while I was going 40. Good thing she stopped, or it would have been traumatic. 

So we pick out our chocolate milk. We need protein, we just worked out. And we went to our favorite cashier. Kelsey!! We chatted with her, because we love her. And then continued on to our party. In Nekel's sexy mini van. Chips, chocolate milk, and two awesome people. Continuously creeping on those that parked next to her. 

Miraculously, I finished all my homework by 8. I know, that is so awesome!!

There is a slight downer to this day. Curtis Knight posted an outrageous thing on Facebook. He wrote that the girls lacrosse team is a joke, and then proceeded to laugh. It's okay, I never take him seriously :) 

Well.. I'm done. Hope you all enjoyed this. ( Sorry it's like a diary.. but today was just so awesome. )  

And So It Goes

So I finally decided to get around to my New Year's Resolutions. I wanted to wait and think it over before I set anything in stone. Wanted to wait and see what I really needed. So here it goes...

• Focus more on school. Not a lot though. I mean not to brag or anything but I've been lucky to have this gift where I can pass tests without studying. Studying just seems to psych me out. And recently a huge chunk of my time that was spent elsewhere has just abandoned me, and studying is the next best thing.
• Be better to those around me. More accurately be true. Stick to what I say. Do better to help those that have helped me. Give back.
• Clean my room more. (and keep it clean.)
• Be Prepared. (Yes, I did just steal from the Boy Scouts.)
• Say Hi to people. Yes, I admit it. In the hall I rarely say hi to people. It's that fear we all have. The fear that they wont a) see you, therefore you look foolish. Or b) they will ignore you, and again, you look foolish.
• Be True. To others, but more importantly myself.
• Don't give up, no matter how hard the going is and how much I can justify it.
• Look for the lonely and make them not lonely.
• Stop listening to things that do not follow my standards and get rid of those things that do not follow said standards.
• Be accepting that I will fail in life.
• After I fail, get back up and show life what I can do.

Well hopefully I can follow a few of these. I hope you all have a great week. Mine will be hectic and scary. 
Over and out.

Club Can't Handle Me

Or maybe I can't handle the club. I'm not speaking literally here, can you see me at a club? (Keep your answers to yourself) What I meant was that just simple things that people do seem to bug me to the point that I just freak out. Usually it's to myself... Not out in public. Here is my list of things that bug me to no extent....

• People talking to me while I read. "Oh man I want to talk to you... let me show you by reading my book." Seriously? Common Sense. Oh and this applies while watching tv also. 
• People talking to me when a teacher is lecturing. No, I am not a teachers pet. It just that every time I talk back to said kid, the teacher looks at me. Bad timing? Oh yeah.
• Slow People. Not learning wise. But walking. Times when I am either a) Hurrying to class, b) Hurrying to the car for lunch (That time flies), c) Hurrying to the car for home. I know you all want to walk slow, hold your soul mates hand ( I know right?), stop and make out ( If I see this again.. I might scream), and stop. right in the middle of the hall. People. Common sense is a necessity!!
• People that ignore you for no reason. Like I'm serious. But hey, if you don't want to talk, then fine. We won't. But I want to. I'm naturally a chatter. (It depends though)
• If I'm mad.. don't suck up to me. Or keep talking to me. Just LEAVE. ME. ALONE!
• People that assume you don't want to do something with them. Thanks. It's okay. I feel loved. (Do you sense that that sentence is dripping with sarcasm)
• People that assume they know everything. About everything. Not one thing. BUT EVERYTHING!! 

Hmm.. when I was thinking earlier... there were more. But as I got thinking, I decided to be less harsh. The most important ones made it here though. On the flip side. People make me happy. Whether it be by talking to me out of the blue :), or just being there for me. 
Time for me spiffy up my room and finish my book? You betcha :) Hope you don't think I am some rude person. If you do.. Well that is just too bad. 
Autobot, roll out.