"Kept me near thy side"

So now since my class is over and writing on my blog is no longer an assignment, i have decided that i want to keep it up. I dont know if anyone is really going to read this so if nothing else, i am writing for myself. I deleted my facebook as well so in an effort to get away from that habit, im hoping that i can direct my attention here and in other places.
It has been a pretty hard week ill say! and its been really easy to feel alone and lost. but i was talking with someone about this hymn and through it all, its been on constant replay in my mind. it has always been my favorite but i think talking about it really made it real for me and i holds a deeper meaning than i thought. so for now this is my comfort:

Abide With Me Tis Eventide

Abide with me; 'tis eventide.The day is past and gone;The shadows of the evening fall;The night is coming on.Within my heart a welcome guest,Within my home abide.
O Savior, stay this night with me;Behold, 'tis eventide.O Savior, stay this night with me;Behold, 'tis eventide.
Abide with me; 'tis eventide.Thy walk today with meHas made my heart within me burn,As I communed with thee.Thy earnest words have filled my soulAnd kept me near thy side.
Abide with me; 'tis eventide,And lone will be the nightIf I cannot commune with theeNor find in thee my light.The darkness of the world, I fear,Would in my home abide.

the final post!

So this is finally number 20! And I must say that I never thought I'd get here! But I think its definitely due to the fact that I procrastinated this assignment more than I should of and I am definitely disappointed that I did. I think this blog has given me the opportunity to really share my thoughts and feelings on different issues and subjects. Looking back on it now I am thankful that I was given this blog for an assignment because I am definitely going to try and keep up on it in the future!

Some surprises that I didn't expect were how many people have been interested in my blog and who actually reads it! It really made me think about the things I was writing and seeing who my audience is as I have shared my testimony and different experiences and thoughts on my life. I definitely found my self reflecting more on questions and lessons because I knew I would have to write about it later. This assignment has helped me to not take my experiences for granted and realize everything I have been blessed with.

Searching the Scriptures

As I read throughout Alma 5-7 this past week, I found the main message that stuck out to me was that of repentance and what one must do in order to become spotless before God. God has sent forth the invitation to all men to repent and to come unto him as he waits with his “arms of mercy are extended towards them”. The words a “mighty change” was prominent throughout these verses. As the people humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God, they were faithful to the end and therefore were saved. This helped me to remember what it is that I must be doing to continually repent of my wrongdoings and have a heart of mighty change. As I struggle and am faced with the trials that come upon me, I have faith that as I do these things, the Lord will bless me. 

            The verses at the end of Alma 7 gives us distinct things that we must do in order to walk blameless before God. “And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and longsuffering being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.” This is a great reminder to me of the things that I must be doing so that the Lord might be able to bless me. There is great peace found when I do what is right and have the light of faith, hope, and charity in my life.

            Another point that stood out to me was the importance of the Spirit. The Spirit know all things and relying on that constant guide can increase my faith and give the protection I need to get through. I am thankful for the words of the prophets and the ability I have to listen to the spirit and repent. 

Ballet Showcase 2011

My roomie is an amazing ballerina and she actually dances here at BYU. She wanted to attend the Ballet Showcase performance this past weekend so naturally, being the amazing friend I am, I said that I would love to attend the show with her. The show was amazing and I really enjoyed the entire performance! All of the dances were very captivating and captured my attention. The dancers here at BYU are very strong dancers and have a lot of talent. I have always had a secret love for dance and really enjoyed this performance. I am so thankful to my roomie for telling me about this wonderful opportunity to be "artsy". It was a great chance to appreciate the talents of others. Oh and the photo is actually one of my roomie's senior photos!

BFFAEAEAEAEAEAe

In my life I have been blessed with amazing friends that have had a huge influence on my life and I don't know how I would of made it through without them. I have made amazing friends while being at college that I know will be my life long friends. Its hard to imagine that I have only been at BYU for a little over three months, because it feels like the people I am closest with have been in my life forever! I have had some amazing experiences while I have been here that I will never forget. And I know there will be so many good times to come. I feel as though I have already grown so much as a person and I think I owe a lot of that to my friends. They have become my family and have stayed by my side through my good and bad days. I love Mikyla Arrington

an international cinema experience

The other day I had the chance to watch a movie with some friends through International Cinema. Seeing as though this was the first Bollywood film I had ever seen it was quite the experience! The movie was Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, whatever that means! But, it was nonetheless quite entertaining. I thought I would have a difficult time with the Hindi movie with english subtitles but it proved to not be so bad. The film was about a middle aged man who had lost his love for life but is able to find it once again by assuming a new identity. I am glad that I got to see this move and finally witness a true, classic Bollywood! It was full of all the singing, dancing, and romance that I could imagine!

An Attitude of Gratitude

So today in Relief Society our lesson was on gratitude which I am especially thankful for because I can always use reminding on the things I have been blessed with. We talked about the six things that need to remember to be thankful for that President Monson mentioned in his Attitude of Gratitude of talk.
1. Our Fathers
2. Our Mothers
3. Our Teachers
4. Our Country
5. Our Church
6. Our Savior
Truly, without each of these things my life would be incomplete and so , I am thankful to have each of these things. It got me thinking about my parents and all that they have done for me so that I can have everything I need and want. They have sacrificed so much so that I can be here at Brigham Young University and I honestly would not be here if it weren't for their unconditional love and support. There are so many teachers in my life that I am thankful for. I think of all my young women's leaders and their example to me. I am so thankful for my country and the freedoms I have been blessed with. Being apart of the gospel has been the biggest influence on my life as it has shaped my beliefs and all the decisions I make. I am also eternally grateful for my Savior and his endless love that he has given. I love that there is such peace in knowing that someone has gone through exactly what I have. And so, I hope that I can remember these things as I go throughout my life and know what is truly important.

Called to Serve

I have been reflecting a lot lately on missionaries and what a great part of the LDS faith it is to send out boys to serve the Lord for two years. I think it creates such an amazing change in the boys who dedicate their lives to spreading the gospel and what a gift it is for the individuals and families they teach to hear of this "good news". I am so blessed to have the effects of missionaries and missionary work in my life and I honestly wouldn't be where I am today with their service. My dad is a convert to the church and I am so thankful for the missionaries who taught him and helped bring him into the gospel. I can't help but think of what amazing men they were and I admire them for their dedication to serve the Lord.

One of my best friends isn't LDS and last year, she expressed a strong desire to learn more about the gospel. A few other close friends and I introduced her to the missionaries in our wards and she soon thereafter started the missionary discussions. Being apart of each one of those discussions helped shape my testimony so much and I always felt the spirit so strong. I believe that the missionaries who taught her were sent to Gilbert, Arizona for a very specific reason and they helped change my friends life so much. Though her parents didn't allow her to be baptized, I know that those missionaries made a huge impact on her life. I thank them for their steadfastness in trusting the Lord and being able to teach with the spirit.

Through the Thick and Thin

Being here at Brigham Young University has made me miss my little brother A LOT! Our other two siblings are a lot older than us and so its seems like its always just been him and I at home! I don't know what it is, because we haven't always gotten along the past few years, but there was always the comfort of having him by my side. I really miss having him around and being able to spend time with one of the people that i know will love me no matter what. I always know that he will be the one to stick up for me and he is the one that can make me laugh no matter how I am feeling. He is one of the most caring people I know and I know that I can always count on him to be there for me. He is growing up to be such an amazing person and I wish I could be around more while he is in high school and watch him play basketball. Yet, regardless, I am blessed to have him as my brother and as my friend.

The Lights

Last night I had the opportunity to visit the Christmas lights at the Salt Lake City temple and it was a beautiful sight to see. I love being on the temple grounds and being able to feel of the peace and spirit that is there. The lights were amazing and it was so great to just step back and watch people from all different walks of life enjoy the lights. I think the lights are such a great missionary tool as they help bring the community together. I really admire the sister missionaries as they just seemed so happy and excited to share the gospel and their testimonies with whoever came their way. It truly made me appreciate how lucky we are to have temples so close where we can partake of the blessings they give us. I hope I can have the chance to visit the temple many more times before the month is over.