Effective Prayer

We had a lesson in Book of Mormon about effective prayer. I think a topic like this is such a great refresher. I can definitely improve the sincerity and the overall quality of my prayers. Our teacher made a list of 24 scriptures for us to look up that would teach us about effective prayer. The lesson hit me so hard, so I jotted down the list and typed it up.

{for those of you interested in reading them}

I'm working on marking all of them in my scriptures. Its been a really good experience for me.

Happy Weekend!

Revive. Revamp. Revisit.

So...I did an overhaul on my blog. I just wasn't feeling it. In addition to the big visual changes I'm experimenting with tabs...well so far only one. Check it.

Welcome to my blog. Lets take a walk...

Elliptical Epiphany

Tonight at the gym, I was meditating on the Elliptical about several things,  some of which I would like to share. So, I present to you my "Elliptical Epiphanies"

#1. I've been on my Facebook fast for almost a week now. Prior to this project, I believed that Facebook was the way I "stayed connected" and "caught up" with my friends and family. Tonight I realized that this truly wasn't the case. I don't feel disconnected or out of the loop at all; the people who I am truly close with and who cared to know what was really going on in my life found a way to contact me other than FB. Also, I found that if I was thinking about someone, wondering what was going on with them, I found a way to contact them in a more meaningful way (via phone call, text message, or e-mail). I realize that texting or e-mailing aren't too different from some methods of communication used with Facebook, however it was genuinely more personal. I wasn't trying to decipher a status or photo to figure out the wellness of friend or family member or posting a public wall post to ask superficial questions that didn't really ask what I wanted to ask. In conclusion, I am going to have to find a new way to justify my use of Facebook or discontinue it. What do you think?

#2. The best time to go to the gym is after watching The Biggest Loser. Its so motivating to watch someone else lose weight and see the results. On this week's episode some of the contestants dropped 15 or 16 pounds. That is insane! If someone who is considered morbidly obese can work out every day, why can't I? In truth, its a lot easier for someone who is "average" or "normal" weight- though you aren't going to be dropping such big numbers. But I'll take what I can get.

#3 Listening to Josh Groban while working out can be more beneficial than the normal (slightly inappropriate) choices. I remember back when I was 16 or 17 there was a fireside given at girls camp. I don't remember the speakers name or what her topic was, but she did encourage us to listen to uplifting music while working out. She gave a specific example of running to "You Raise Me Up" and having it work wonders for her. I thought she was crazy. I continued listening to my upbeat (and slightly inappropriate) work out playlist; until tonight. Remembering this talk, I decided to give it a try. I set my iPod to only play Josh Groban songs (to be accurate). It worked. Something about the uplifting messages and raw talent coming from my headphones sustained me through my workout with little effort on my part. The question is, is it Josh Groban or the uplifting nature of his music. Or both?

Halloween Happenings

Thanks to my Aunt Karen, Chris and I were able to participate in some Halloween festivities. Tonight we went over to their place in Shelly, Idaho for a Halloween dinner. Kudos to my cousin Nikki who diligently stuck with the theme.

On the menu: Swamp grass (salad), Brains (jell-o in a brain mold), worms (homemade gummy worms), Gut Soup (chili), Bones (bread sticks), Bat Wings (chicken wings that had been thoroughly food colored black), and Warewolf Droppings (pumpkin cookies).

I really wish that I had taken some photos...this meal was insanely Halloween-y.
Anyway, thanks to the Nelson family for getting us out of the apartment and celebrating Halloween. It was fun to spend the evening with family. :)

I don't like having Halloween on a Monday. As far as I'm concerned, Monday is the most homework concentrated day. We will, most likely, be spending Halloween at home- doing homework & (hopefully) be answering the door to trick-or-treaters. Next year I will be more on the ball and we will (at least) carve a pumpkin. Halloween just kinda snuck up on us. I'm not used to being the one to make the holidays happen- that was my mom's job and she was very good at it. Thank goodness I'll get some observing opportunities for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Also, my birthday is coming up next Sunday. Its weird to be celebrating it away from home. Chris is planning stuff for Saturday, so I'm sure it will be a great birthday.
Hope everyone has a great week!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Things As They Really Are

My Family Foundations class is divided into 6 two week units. Every two weeks we make a new "Provident Living Plan" to follow that coincides with the unit. The PLP for this unit is Media Management. I have to track all my usage of media outside of homework and work (all time spent listening to my iPod, watching TV or movies, or using my cell phone). In addition I am currently on a "Facebook Fast."
I had Chris change my Facebook password and log me out so that I am unable to log in. I have already noticed a change in my productivity. Instead of checking Facebook in between classes, I worked on some homework. There isn't really much for me to waste time on when I can't get on Facebook (except for blog stalking...but no new posts yet today). I have been kind of amazed how many times I usually get on Facebook during the day.
The above video was shown in class before we formulated our plans. It really made me think about my media usage and how it affects me, my relationship, and the companionship of the spirit. It is really scary how dependent we are on media and technology.
My hope is that at the end of the two weeks I won't really have a desire to get back into my Facebook habits. I haven't missed it so far...
Chris is also in the class with me. He doesn't really like Facebook and doesn't get on much, so he is on a "YouTube Fast" and is limiting time he watches TV. I have a feeling there are a lot of Battleship Tournaments in our future. :)
Wish us luck!

Sleep is Happy

Going to bed early is one of my favorite things. Chris and I went to bed last night at about 9:30. We got up this morning at 6:25---It was surprisingly easy! I learned in my psychology class that college students need 8-10 hours of sleep. Also, people who say they "don't need as much sleep as most people" are full of it. Every body needs sleep, if you've been going without sleep for an extended period of time your body has just adapted to your unhealthy habits. It's still not good for you. Also, little flashy-blinky lights can disturb your sleep cycles. Its recommended that you eliminate any extra light in your bedroom (which means everything but your smoke detector); this means no TV, computers, cell phones, or digital clocks. We cover ours with a black washcloth at night, so we can still use the alarm to wake us up. We've been sleeping great over here in 1523!

Saturday Goodness

So, I have been saving my allowance pretty much ever since it existed (Wow, that wasn't redundant at all...). Today was the day I got to spend it! I wanted some new shirts pretty bad...and there was a gigantic hole in my purse. I had only $35 dollars to spend, so we took a trip down to Idaho Falls so we could spend the rest of our Target gift card money and visit Ross for my allowance spending spree.
We scored at Target- there was a set of flannel sheets on sale for $20! We had been looking online and they were really pricey, so we were very grateful for this find helping us stay warm in the bitter Rexburg cold. We also bought a new pan.
Then came Ross. I am very pleased to say that Ross took my allowance a very long way. I found some amazing deals:

I found a bag that fit exactly what I wanted :)

Nude color heels (in hopes of lengthening my stubby legs)

And 2 cute shirts!

After our shopping trip we came back to Rexburg and went to the temple. It was also great! I love doing things with Chris. He really is my best friend (I type this as he makes dinner for us...I'm procrastinating some homework)