All the dragons in our lives are princesses

Perhaps all the dragons in our lives are princesses who are only waiting to see us act, just once, with beauty and courage. Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, something helpless that wants our love.

-Rainer Maria Rilke

This has got to be one of the oddest quotes I've ever read. Odd because it's not just weird, it has substance and is very thought provoking on a deep level.

What if this is how things were. What if this IS how things ARE ?

I don't know everything but, I know that the way I'd solve the worlds problems is teach everyone to love each other. that's what i hope i can convey to my students on some level. it doesn't matter who or what you are. Everyone deserves love and if you really love someone, well, it's like faith.

Faith is more than just believing. Faith is believing enough to act on beliefs. Knowing just enough to go ahead and take a step but, not quite enough where it's easy. Faith is hard. So is love. Love requires action. If you really love someone you cant be dormat. you have to do something. You have to act. You have to be good to them. You have to make them happy because that's what makes you happy and that is what love is. Love is caring enough to put your actions towards someone elses needs. Unless, i suppose if you love yourself.

I think peace on earth is found through the savior. found through God. God is love.

peace is found through God.

God is love.

Peace, therefore, is found through love.

I know that logic thing doesn't always work (Spotty is mortal. Man is mortal. Therefore spotty is a man) but, it does in this instance.

I think the most important thing to teach anyone is love. If my 8th graders fail math, science, and english, but know how to love each other. I won't worry about them one bit.

The test of life is not about math, science, and english. Charity is the test of life. Charity never faileth.

The thing people don't get is that Charity isn't changing the world because of the people who are receiving the charity.

No. That's silly. Let's be honest sometimes you give people EVERYTHING and nothing happens. They don't change, they aren't happy, life isn't better. Sometimes that's what happens. Sometimes onlookers see what you are doing and it touches their hearts but, it just as easily might not. That is NOT why Charity Never Faileth.

I'm sorry for all the caps but, I feel like this is something that people just don't get and if anyone ever reads my blog and reads this I really want them to get this.

There are times when your best efforts to help the people around you will fail. Even the greatest most selfless gift, the Atonement, doesn't help people who aren't willing to accept it. Nothing happens if you get the donut and don't eat it.

Why do the scriptures say Charity Never Faileth? Because, for anyone who has ever posessed even a small portion of this love, it changes everything. It changes how you feel about others and about yourself.

It changes what you will do when someone cuts you off at an intersection, or doesn't give you enough change when you buy a candy bar. It changes what you think of drug-addicts and juvenile delinquints. Charity changes the world but, it's "whoso is found posessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."

What this world needs is a new kind of army - the army of the kind. ~Cleveland Amory

I haven't had very many years of experience. I'm not a wise old man that knows and gets the ways of the world and the ways of life. I get a few things and most of them are because someone told me they were a certain way and I didn't believe them, and then my plan didn't work, and so I tried other's plans and found they made sense to me.

Recently I've been really just discovering for myself the nature of people. I am a psychology nut. My friend and I have been discussing the nature of people. Many say that the only thing that keeps people virtuous is religion.

I think the religion helps but, I also believe that people are good. I mean we all have an ability to do good or evil. "Wherefore a man being evil cannot do that which is good." (Moroni 7:10) Now before everyone contradicts this, let me tell you what I think this scripture means.

We all have our agency. It is a major theme to life. In all that we have and all that we do, it is always our choice. I think life is this way so that we can really choose who we want to be. We have to be able to make all our own decisions. Some choices are not moral choices, like choosing what to eat for breakfast. Other choices are.

These are choices that point us in directions. We can either point towards the Light or the Dark. Light/Dark. God/Devil. Good/Bad. Get it?

This is my interpretation of that scripture. If a man is pointing towards dark, then he is choosing evil. (this goes for women too, of course.) He is choosing to worship evil, and to by extension i suppose *Be* evil. If he does something that is good, like really wants to do good, he spins around and points towards the light. Because evil cannot do good. It's impossible. People can do good and evil but, not at the same time. Because, if you are going good in one thing and bad in another, the key is where your heart is. Wherever your heart is, that is where you are.

So, I don't think people need religion to walk in the light but, I think it helps. People can walk in the light without it, religion just makes it easier.

I've met someone recently and lots of people told me that he was "evil". I thought that was really dramatic but, I didn't think it was fair to not see for myself. Well, when you are willing to try and see someone the way Christ would, like really really trying, then, in my experience, you'll get it.

I knew that he was leaning towards the dark. Walking in the dark. I could feel that. Still, there was something more. So much more special was the fact that yea he was walking in the dark but, he wasn't the dark. He could go into the light.

Our first impression of one another wasn't very good. We both assumed what the other one would be like, and think of us. But, well, I tried something. I tried to just be kind. I tried to murder with kindness. and I murdered my enemy and found a bit of a friend.

We aren't tight but, just trying to be nice really impacted him. It made him light up and feel better about himself because he knew what everyone was saying about his "evil spirit". So I guess two things I have learned recently.

1) Everyone, no matter how great or how bad they are has the ability to choose where to position their lives every day. We choose light or dark. Every day, almost every minute. It's our choice and we have nobody to blame but, ourselves for where our lives are directed.

2) The best way to get rid of an enemy is to make him your friend. You'll be surprised how powerful the sword of Kindness is.

To close with a quote from the only English book that I ever loved

"You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb inside his skin and walk around in it" -Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbirdd, Written by Harper Lee

Never shall I forget the times I spent with you; continue to be my friend, as you will always find me yours.

It was our last Saturday night in Rexburg. So, we went to Craigos/Pizza Pie Cafe -which has the best Pizza EVER. and then we played Lazer tag and for once I wasn't last. Actually two out of the three times we played I wasn't last. :) It was way fun but, we were all running on basically NO sleep. So, we were all getting a little grumpy. We were back at home and somebody suggested we play this game. It was actually the best game I think we ever played and it was perfect for our last Saturday Night.

So, the game was, everyone go around in a circle and tell one physical and one character trait you admire about each person. It was perfect. I wish more people had been there. It was great because, some people, we just aren't going to see for years, if at all. Because of the way BYUI does things, we will only all be together in the fall and so many things could happen between now and next fall and it's not like we'll ever be living together again. Everything is going to change.

I'm upset about that a little bit but, I guess I haven't invested as much into this as everyone else. I know I haven't, I never really hung out with them before Thanksgiving. Still, you create a family up here and it's sad to leave it and know that it might be for a very long time before you're all reunited. Maybe like forever.

When people were talking about my roommates, they talked about how we just made this house a home. How they are always over at our place because it's more than just our house, we made it into a home. We created the environment for family.

It's so funny because that's not how it was at the beginning of the year. I remember how I had to get up enough courage to have a "family meeting" with my roommates because, there was just no peace at home. They mentioned that too. My roommates all blame me for the family atmosphere. I'm not egotistical enough to say that it was me, because it was everyone, and it could only be everyone, otherwise it wouldn't have worked but, I'm so grateful that my mom and dad are so willing to allow me to experiment in my own home.

I mean, some of my ideas are crazy, but, sometimes they work. And I'm so grateful that I learned what worked before I came up here and that I knew how to make it home. I mean, I knew that we had to all be friends before we could really be happy. We don't all have to be best friends but, there was a respect for each other that just needed to happen.

It takes a family to make a home but, every individual provides different elements for it. I like to think of my symbol as a lighted candle. The light is small, but the best way to spread the light is to allow yours to catch on to someone elses. I'm grateful for all the experiences I have had that allowed me to light this match. Kyrie, Erin, and Savannah were the ones that took over after that but, I'm glad that I played a part in it.

It feels so good to hear these things. I think a lot of us consider the things others said were strengths, to be our weaknesses. Now I am going to be egotistical about my skin tone. I never want to forget what they all said so, here are some of the ones I remember.

Character Traits:
You make everyone happy-if we're being grumpy you come in and for everyone you just change the subject or turn it around.
You fix things not because they affect you but, because you can and it's right
You're pure and innocent and you tone us down
You know what to say to make my day happier.
You are the sweetest person I know
You are so ready to jump in and have fun
You made our house a home
You know how to make people happy
You are always happy/optimistic

Physical Traits:
Skin Tone
You always look so comfortable
Smile
Hair

I will miss you all and more than I would have ever thought. You guys have left a handprint on my heart. Thanks for all the times. The good and the bad. Best of luck to all of you. You are the best.

The Beginning

Hi there everyone. I just found a great way to avoid my homework. Create a blog! Actually I've been planning to do this for a while. The fact that I actually created the blog while trying to find something more fun to do than homework, is a mere coincidence. I'm excited to try this out and see how it goes. It's like an online journal, which is a little scary but, it seems like a good way to tell people how my life is going when calling or letters or email or insert-form-of-communication-here aren't possible. I'll try not to make it too personal but... maybe the point of the blog is that we pour our hearts out onto the paper and pretend like nobody will ever see it. At least, the ones I've read that seems to be the point. Anyway... clearly i'm good at the whole rambling thing. I'm going to go and explore this new toy for a little bit and then... I suppose I'll get back to homework. TTFN (ta ta for now)