Life is a gym...didn't you know?

So I have had a lot on my mind lately. Whether it's watching the news or talking with friends or thinking about my own life, it seems as if there are always people that are having a hard time. So many people do really stupid things that affect other people. It is so hard to care about someone and see them do something that is wrong and won't bring them happiness. I was talking to my mom about it and told her that in my world, the worst thing that would ever happen to someone is they lose a football game, which can be pretty tragic, especially if it's to LSU. :) Well, later, I was talking to God about this. And I told Him that I just don't know how he can stand to watch His kids do such stupid things to hurt each other and themselves. Then there is things like Haiti, Katrina, and other natural disasters that are hard for people. I told Him that I just don't even know if I want to deal with all that pain of watching my kids get so hurt someday. So I told Him that I was just going to have them deal with football losses. Well, He said, "stephanie, do you really want your children to grow up with no life muscles?" See, I love the muscular system. My major is the greatest, all we do is study the body and fitness. Everyone knows that muscles are developed by a wearing and tearing of a muscle. This week I was doing my upper body workout. I was supposed to balance on an exercise ball and then bench 50 pounds. It was so so hard the first time I did it, I seriously could feel my arms just getting numb as the weights kept coming towards my face. My trainer spotted me the last few times and helped me push up what I couldn't but he would not let me just wimp out and not complete my total reps. Well the second time I worked my upper body I was able to do it with more ease, and not as much help from my trainer. The point is, I got more strength because my trainer made me do something I didn't think I could and wouldn't take the weights off, just helped ease the amount it affected my arms. Well, we need life muscles even more than we need muscles for our body. And in life, our trainer (Christ) isn't always going to take the weights off us, but just help spot us so that it doesn't crush us. And as we continue to exert faith and strength, we will see that it is easier the next time it's time to deal with heavy weights again. Well, as God via the Spirit is telling me this, I realized that if the worst thing that happened to us was a loss to LSU or the UofU then we would just be lifting five pounders when we could lift a lot more. We would be very weak, when we could be very strong. I am paying good money to get strong with my trainer just like Christ paid a huge price to get us to be strong. We can do it, y'all!! I know somedays just seem unbearable because of the heartache of this life. But heaven isn't too far. He comes and gives us bits and pieces as often as we seek, especially in the gym.

Christmas Report and Winter Updates Mixed in with a little advice to all you busy folks!

Okay I am like religiously opposed to overloading my blog, but I went like three weeks without writing...so I'm going to write two within the same day!! So, Christmas was great! I spent it with my family in California. Michael took me to Wicked aka the most awesome three hours of my life! I loved it. I'm sure I'll have a blog about it sometime. I love my family. I missed my dad. I wish he was still a part of my family...I mean I know he is, but I don't know it's obviously not the same. Anyways, I am so blessed with my extended family. My mom's dad and her two brothers are phenomenal and really step up to be a father figure in each of our lives. I love them more than they will ever know I think! Michael and Ryan are the best brothers I could ask for. I mean, sometimes, I wish they were more active in the Gospel. I just know how much happiness it brings me, but I love them nonetheless. They are fantastic to me. Ryan said, "you know steph when people ask me about my family, I say 'my mom is the nicest person i know, michael is the smartest person i know and well my sister, she's my favorite person i know". And let's be honest my mom is a priceless jewel in my life. Gosh, I think God told me I was going to have the most angelic mother there was but I would have to endure other trials to have her and I was like, sign me up. She's honestly worth it! I have so much respect for her. So yeah Christmas was GREAT!!! Love the holiday. Love every kind of celebration of Christ we can have!
Okay, so now for Winter updates....HOLY BUSYYYYY!!! The break was like a weird one, I knew it would be the last break I have for a long time. I will be in 18 credits Winter, 9 credits Spring, 9 credits Summer, 20 credits Fall, plus Independent Study to finish up so I can graduate. I work twenty hours a week. I will be certifying soon to be a trainer and add about sevenish hours a week training people. I already spend a good hour or two at the gym everyday. Ice skating practice at 6 am (which is why I need to be sleeping right now). I'm meeting with a new advisor to try and crack out this obesity/eating disorder prevention campaign soon. Prepping for graduate school. Ahhhh!!!! So, I hate saying the things that I'm busy with, but don't worry there is a purpose. One of my favorite scriptures is in Matthew 14:23. Jesus had been running around healing people, teaching people, you know saving the world. Well, it says, "And when he sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray and when the evening was come, he was there alone". Oh my gosh everyone stop what you are doing right now and pick this scripture apart to how it applies to your life. I just think that if the Man who could endure all pain and suffering possible felt in needful to go away into the mountains by Himself, shouldn't we also take time for meditation and reflection alone? I know for me, I get so caught up with people and just doing things to just do them, I need to sit down look at myself (internally) and make sure I'm on the right track...That the things I do have purpose and meaning. A wise friend once said to me, "steph, I learned the most when I found out how to be okay with myself by myself". With no one else's approval or validation, are we really ok? I say this typing a blog that I expect people to read and validate haha. But seriously, think about it. Are you okay with yourself and your life without other's validation or direction? I have a long ways to go, but it's something I have been working on for TWO years!! Holy crap, it's been that long since my road to self discovery. Well here was a significant milestone I achieved tonight. BYUSA campaigning is coming up, oh joy, and I was asked to be a part of a core team. I have always done this, and it's weird to actually say no, but I did! I thought about it by myself without any input from outside sources besides God and me and then God and I made the decision to decline. Although this seems very minuscule, I know the Lord cares. I know that who I am does not consist of what I do. So even though that list makes me feel busy, it shouldn't make me feel any more important and of worth than if I did one thing on the list. I am so so so so so grateful for this belief I finalllllly developed. It has made a serious and lasting impact in my life. So as the new year starts and you make goals, just remember that it's about who we become not what we do. We have a long, long time to develop, we don't need to meet every expectation this year!!
On that subject, I just want to share my last soap box. Coolest discovery thus far in my college career: I'm going to live a long life!!! So with different things I do to take care of myself I will live an average 17 years longer than the average person in America!! AWESOME. These things include: religion, duh; exercise, nutrition, no smoking, no alcohol, aka WORD OF WISDOM. It's true people!!! Isn't that great! Oh and in the Word of Wisdom it says that the promise is to run and not be weary, walk and not faint...if that's a promise, we should probably start doing those things now, its not just gonna hit us when we die. We need to develop healthy habits while we can!! Eat well and exercise!! Take care of that beautiful God given body!!
Thanks to all my family and friends that make life better every day and I'm excited for the next 70 years we have together and then on to....FOREVER!!! <3

Brotherly Conversations...

I am really bad at this whole blogging thing. I have tried to write a new post three times and then for some reason it won't publish or I get distracted or whatever..it just doesn't get published. But I HAVE to share this once and for all!!! (Christmas/Winter updates will be published another time!) Okay, so I was on a drive with Michael and he said, "You know steph, I know you've been mocked for often you talk to mom on the phone, but in all seriousness, I think it's great. Whatever she is saying to you must be working. I see her more and more in you. I watched you this Christmas, your mannerisms, the way you talk to people, the advice you give, it is so much like her...and well, that's a good thing". OH MY GOSH, the tears just poured out. That was one of the nicest things I have ever been told. I LOVE my mom. For those of you that know her, there is plenty of reason to love her. I have tried to be like her for years!!! Well, then I got to thinking, and I realized how I would like for another Elder Brother to say something similar to me someday....
"Steph, I know you've been mocked for how often you talk to Father, but in all seriousness, I think it's great. Whatever He is telling you must be working. I see Him more and more in you. I watched you this year, your mannerisms, the way you talk to people, the advice you give, it is so much like the way He would. and well that's a good thing"
Well then reality hit me...I do not spend nearly enough time on my knees as I do on the phone. But I know that if I did, I would hear the Savior say something similar to me someday. I know that prayer is so important. It really is incredible that there is an Eternal Being that isn't simply my God, but my Father, and he does love me and care to listen to me everyday!
I don't know if this analogy will mean as much to any of you as it did to me, but it really helped me put in perspective how important prayer is!!