Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

I grew up singing the primary song "Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes" almost every week, and had even learned it in Tongan one Sunday from some Tongan sister missionaries. I have never really thought too much of that song until today, and this is how I think this simple primary song applies to me.

Head- I must use my head. I need to get an education and fill my mind with worthwhile things. It is important that I put thought into the decisions I make, the words I say, and my actions. My head is where it starts. My thoughts, are where everything begins.

Shoulders- Life is hard. I will have many heavy burdens on my shoulders on a regular basis, some burdens heavier and more prolonged than others. These burdens will be do-able, and though not always enjoyable, there is always something to learn from them.

Knees- This is where I have been most of this year: on my knees. Many trials and tribulation have befallen me over this past year, and I have been in need of Divine help from above. Day after day I am dragged down to my knees, too weak to walk and move forward. But every time, after pouring out my heart and soul to my loving Heavenly Father, I can make it back to my feet to continue on this journey.

Toes- I must always move forward. Looking ahead in life, it is scary and unsure. I do not know exactly what my future holds, but I do know that if I take it one step at a time, and continue to put one foot in front of the other, taking life one step at a time, marvelous things can/will happen.

"If I Can Just Make It This Week..."

Every Sunday/Monday, I say, "if I can just make it through this week..", and so far, I have made it through every week! This semester has been a killer, especially school-wise! Tests, quizzes, presentations, projects, readings, assignments, study guides, review sessions, I've done it all! Yet, I still have 2 and a half more weeks of school, and one week of finals. But, within these next 4 weeks, I have so much to look forward to! For example, this weekend is General Conference, which I am so stoked for! I cannot wait to hear what these wonderful men and women leading our Church have to say! And, I get to actually attend the Saturday afternoon session at the Conference Center with Mandie for the first time ever! How cool is that?! Also, Easter is coming up! I know that it is not as exciting as it used to be as a child, with easter egg hunts, dying eggs, and a nice dinner. But the true meaning of Easter is still something worth getting excited over! Then, school ends! No more crazy class schedule, at least until 2013! Then, amidst finals week, it will be my 20th birthday! I am about to exit my teen years, which excites me and scares me a bit! It is going to be a good one! As a grand finale to the end of the semester, my Daddy is going to come and visit me! I haven't seen any of my family since Christmas break (aside from my sister and brother-in-law) and so having him come up to visit is going to be just splendid! Especially since we don't have to worry about school, we can spend all of our time doing fun things with no worries of classes, studying, or tests! I will be up here for Spring semester going to school, but come mid-June, Texas here I come!

Isn't Life Funny?

Sometimes things in life don't go as planned, and it is potentially frustrating! But, I have learned that if you just laugh instead of cry, life is SO much easier to get through! Here are a couple of things that make me laugh. (Just as a warning, my sense of humor can be pretty lame sometimes, so while it may make you roll your eyes, it IS funny!)

Words To Live By

I am a huge quote person. I. Love. Quotes. And I have heard some pretty good ones from people I know, people I don't know, and people I would like to know. Here are a few:

"God knows that some of the greatest souls who have ever lived are those who will never appear in the chronicles of history. They are the blessed, humble souls who emulate the Savior's example and spend the days of their lives doing good." -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 (I love this one because it really puts things into perspective on how to become great and accomplished. It spells it out very clearly how the Lord sees "great" people.)

"Gratitude is directly related to happiness." -My Mother

(How true this is! When I am down and decide to count my blessings, I realize that there is nothing to be sad about in the first place... at least in comparison to all of the good things! Thank you Mom for teaching me this at an early age.)

"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness.

 For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people.

 For beautiful hair, let a child run their fingers through it.

 For poise, walk with the knowledge that you never walk alone"

-Audrey Hepburn

(This one speaks for itself. Beauty comes from within.)

"Lindsey, trust me everything will work out. I am giving my will to the Lord for two years, so anything he gives me back will be for the best." -William

(This is the last text I received before he left for his mission. Trust in the Lord. That is what this tells me. My life is in His hands, and if I will let Him guide me, He will lead me on the path that He wants me to take.)

I've had many in depth conversations with friends and family about real topics. I live for those conversations. My most recent one has been with my roommate Kristin, and we talked about balance. She is someone worth talking to. I highly value her opinions and views, and if you don't know her, she is worth getting to know! She has many quotes as well, but none that quite come to mind right now, except for this one:

"Lindsey, you are good... good for nothing!!!"

Hahaha she is a great friend with a great sense of humor. Have a great day, and if you have any quotes you would like to share with me, please do! :)

Follow the Yellow Brick Road!

One of the hardest things for me, is to not have plans or to not be sure of what is going on in my future. I have been bouncing around with majors, with summer plans, traveling plans, and any other future plans! Good news! Today, I have found direction in my life! I feel like Dorothy off of the Wizard of Oz! She is pointed in the right direction, and then happily goes along! Sure she still encounters lots of trials and struggles, but she knows where she is headed! I know what I want to do with my life, and how to get there! It is a WONDERFUL feeling! I am going to major in School of Health Education, and teach health to high schoolers! While teaching, I am planning on mastering in social work/counseling in order to become a drug counselor! The idea of becoming a drug counselor just appeals to me so much! I am thoroughly fascinated by addiction and how it works, and to help people work through it, I mean how rewarding! It is a flexible plan (for life's little surprises), but it is a goal none-the-less! Knowing what I am going to do with my life, is the best! What a wonderful ending to my crazy insane week! Have a great week y'all!

You Raise Me Up

Beginning of the week pick-me-up for those of you anticipating a hard month!

Is Knowledge Really Power?

The more things I learn, the more questions I have. This is true for every aspect of my life, but right now we will relate it to my school life. I have learned that I hate chemistry and physics, which was followed up by the question of, "well, what do I like?" I have finally answered that question, with, "I love health, and more specifically, drugs." With this new knowledge I now wonder, do I want to teach health? Or become a drug counselor? Or do I want to nix health altogether and just become a piano teacher? For every answer, a few more questions come up.  Is knowledge really power? Yes. Questions are powerful. Questions are what lead you to more knowledge, which leads you to more questions, then to more answers, and so on. The more you know, the more you can decide for yourself. I have learned quite a bit today. I have learned, that the more you know about someone, the more they mean to you. The more time and effort you put in, the more you want to know. But of course, with that new found knowledge, it leads me to more questions. Questions I cannot answer right now. Some questions simply can't be answered at this point in my life. I have no way of knowing what is going to happen this summer, what is going to happen in the UK in the fall, and I most certainly don't have a clue what will happen the January I return to BYU after 7 months away! I am working on answering the questions I can answer now, pondering the questions that are necessary to ponder now, and storing the other questions for a later time. I learned a lot today. More knowledge-->more power-->more questions.