definition: chillin'

Another video about my rad friends and our awesome memories.  Surprise, surprise.
I can't get enough of these people.

"Do I really have to graduate or can I just stay here for the rest of my life?"

Asher Roth

"let brotherly love continue"

"Love is of the very essence of life. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yet it is more than the end of the rainbow. Love is at the beginning also, and from it springs the beauty that arches across the sky on a stormy day. Love is the security for which children weep, the yearning of youth, the adhesive that binds marriage, and the lubricant that prevents devastating friction in the home; it is the peace of old age, the sunlight of hope shining through death." 

 Gordon B. Hinckley

The ability we have as human beings to love astounds me.  It is such a mysterious concept.  Yet, it is so real and powerful.  What does it mean to love?  How do we love?  What can we love?  Obviously, there are many answers to these questions and an individual may answer them differently depending on age, circumstance, upbringing, etc.  But, it is a subject that fascinates me most ardently and I will answer those questions based on the experiences I have been having here in Switzerland over the past week or so.  

I've been thinking a lot about love lately.  Not necessarily the romantic kind of love where our hearts race and our stomaches are filled with butterflies but the love that the Lord talks about throughout the scriptures as "brotherly love".

I have been interning as an office assistant for Initiatives of Change in Caux, Switzerland and have had the opportunity of working very closely with a group of about thirty young men and women from around the globe.  It has been one week, a mere 170 hours and I can honestly tell you that I love these people.  I do, I really do.  Their stories are powerful and I have learned from each of them.  My ability to love these people in a short period of time caught me off guard and this process of caring has consumed my thoughts over the past few days.   

Perhaps it is my interest in peacebuilding and conflict transformation that has me contemplating these ideas but then again, I believe it comes down to a fundamental desire that we all posses-- a desire to connect.  We want to be recognized, understood, heard, validated, and yes, loved.  We crave it.  As I have spent time pondering this concept I have thought back to last summer.  Due to a certain situation, I felt lost, vulnerable, weak, disconnected, and a severe lack of love.  Confusion clouded all my thoughts.   I was convinced that love didn't exist.   It was a very hopeless and dark feeling.  And, although this loss of love was linked to romance, I have since overcome that despair and I am convinced that love is the most powerful force in the world. 

Yesterday, my friend Ahmed, who is from Egypt discussed with me his views on the revolution that is taking place in his home country.  I saw fire in his eyes and hope in his words.  This was love.  I took a walk yesterday and felt the sun upon my skin and the wind on my face.  This was love.  My parents have been married since 1986.  This is love.  

My new friends and I have laughed about bodily functions, danced together to Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez, eaten together, served together, and cried together. This is why I love them-- we have connected. Through this connection, perceptions have been changed, minds have been opened, and love has been felt.

I don't have all the answers to the first list of questions I mentioned but, I believe in love and I believe in God's love. I also believe that if we are open to His love, we can feel it on a daily basis.  This thought empowers me. Through the mere action of breathing, I can feel the most powerful being in the universe's love for me.  That thought alone brings so much joy to my soul and peace to my mind.

I feel honored to be having this experience.  I am surrounded by people who have a desire for more love in the world and are acting as agents of change in the best way they know.  I feel inspired, uplifted, and ready to take on the world.

I love these people.

it's the best, i love it.

Lately, whenever I want to talk about how happy I am, I just call my parents.  But, they are asleep right now so, I guess I guess a blog post will have to do.

If you haven't seen this video, you must watch it.  In the clip, Elder Busche states that, "the greatest achievement that can be reached in our lives is to be under the complete influence of the Holy Ghost. Then he will teach us what is really good and necessary to do."  I struggled to understand this for quite some time.  As I have learned to follow the promptings of the Spirit, my mind has been enlightened and my heart has been opened.  My testimony of the importance and power of following the promptings of the Spirit has grown so much over these past few weeks.  I know that by listening to the suggestions the Spirit makes, no matter how hard or uncomfortable those promptings may be to follow, our lives will be blessed and happiness will ensue.

I have one more final and I will be done with this semester-- one of the best semesters of my college experience.  I'm not trying to prove my happiness or peace of mind to anyone but,  I wish I could explain how I feel.  I don't think I have ever experienced such happiness or ease in my life.  For the first time in what seems like ages, everything is just flowing together.  I am not stressed or anxious, worried or fearful.  My heart is full of gratitude for the people and opportunities that surround me.

In the words of Nacho Libre:
"My life is good, really good."

   

 

 

 

 

 

children of the sun

i love the summer months here in hawaii.

small waves, the warm sun, and good friends-- it's all one needs to be happy.

 

 

film

i'm visiting utah for the weekend.  i came home to spend some time with and say goodbye to by little brother before he heads off on his mission to the czech republic.

i've woken up to snow every morning so, in attempts to appease the shivers running through my body and my icy-cold appendages, i have been staring at these fun pictures of warmer and sunnier days.

a few weeks ago, i bought a disposable camera to toy around with on some of my island adventures.    can't say it was my own idea---thanks to amber, brit, and shayla for the inspiration. 

 

new friends

I met the most adorable little girl the other day and I just ran into her again.  Her name is Mapa, she is from Tonga and I assume she is around nine years old.  She smiled at me, laughed at my jokes and hugged me.  I felt her happiness, her love and her kindness.  

The Lord blessed me with her spirit today, I needed her positive energy and light.  

Hope to see you again soon Mapa. 

shake it up, shake it up

saturday was one of the best days i have had in a while.  

island exploring, cliff jumping, ice-cream eating, sunset watching, night surfing.

super, super saturday.

 

home for the holidays

a week ago, i was surfing kahana, celebrating a wedding, and spending time with one of my best friends and my favorite boy.

 

 

now i am home in utah & it is cold.

 

 

i love spending time with my family, seeing friends, eating good food, and having time to read.  i've had a lot of time to think and relax and although my skin is dry and my hair frizzy, there is no place like home for the holidays.

the beauty of it

well, today has been one of those days-- to say the least.  

however, the tears and frustrations have been small in comparison to the beauty and love that surround me.

i mean,  just look at that candy-cotton sky, those foamy waves, and the happy faces below.

could i be anymore blessed? 

 i would argue no.

 

   

 

also,

i like this song.