Horrifying Ad

Here is the terrifying texting ad that I talked about in class last week. I don't know how anyone could text and drive after watching this.

Cell Phones

I was reminded of something as I hung up my third phone call for the day with a family member, and ti wasn't even 11am yet. Imagine what it was like the days before cell phones...College would be such a totally different experience! When my sister was here at BYU she didn't have a cell phone. She called my parents every so often on the landline phone in her apartment kitchen.

I don't even know the last time I used one of those guys! How restricting to only be able to talk to someone while you're in your kitchen. I have many memories of my mom stretching the phone cord as far as possible while she would try to talk on the phone and do things around the house at the same time. Now there are also cordless phones, but cell phones take the cake. You can be anywhere and call anyone! Also, long distance calls are much more manageable and texts can also make long distance relationships easier to keep up with.

While cell phones may be distracting and cause disruptions, I love them for so many reasons. I love how easy it is to call family members, share pictures, send emails, and receive quick messages from loved ones. I don't know what I would do with my phone, not because I'm addicted to it, but because it keeps me connected with so many people that otherwise I would not be able to hear from as often. Today I was able to talk to my mom, dad, sister, brother in law, 3 nephews, and a niece. All because of my cell phone :)

Daughters of God

I watched this video yesterday morning and loved it. How wonderful it is to know that we are daughters of a kind, loving Heavenly Father. This video inspires me as I see all of these women in the world who are strong and good. I'm grateful for the knowledge I have that I am a child of God and that He loves me. It hurts to see how many women in the world don't know or remember this truth. But it is a truth and we are all precious to Him. What an uplifting message.

Talent

My roommate showed me a video on youtube awhile ago of these two girls singing. I think they are so talented and have beautiful voices. It's impressive how talented children can be and I'm glad we have youtube to share all the talents people have. They have a lot of songs I like, but this one is one of my favorites :)

Modesty

http://www.beautyredefined.net/modest-is-hottest-the-revealing-truth/

I thought this article was really interesting to read. Especially because we've been discussing images in the media and the portrayal of women. I happened to be out running errands with a friend yesterday and we saw the store, Sexy Modest and decided to look inside. It was really nice inside, but kind of expensive and didn't seem to be worth it. I'm glad that there are people though that care about being modest and promoting modesty.

Taken 2

I went and saw Taken 2 on opening night with a bunch of people in my ward. I realized that I must be getting older because we were all excited that instead of a midnight showing, it was a 10 p.m. showing. Or maybe we're all just tired college students....Either way, I really enjoyed the movie. Especially because I went to Turkey this summer and so I recognized some of the sites from when I was there. I thought the movie was super entertaining and kept me on the edge of my seat :)

A Heavy Heart

Sometimes life can be really hard. One time in high school, I read a blog post my cousin had posted. She shared a story about a baby girl who had received a heart transplant but within a few days of receiving her new heart, passed away. I was in shock as I read the blog of this little girl's family as I went back and read about all the hardships they endured with their daughter and her broken heart. As I read and read this blog, I realized how strong her mother was. She had so much faith. They had witnessed miracles. Their family was an inspiration to me and inspired me to become better.

I soon realized there is a heart community out there. One of strength, support, and resiliency. I found other "Heart Mom" blogs and began reading about their experiences. Their blogs shared a common theme of growing through your trials. Inspiration and strength oozed from their posts. I began to have my favorite blogs that I would check up on. I watched these babies with broken hearts grow and also suffer. I found myself thinking about these kids or praying for them when I read they were about to go in for a surgery or having a complication.

A couple days ago I woke up early to do homework, but instead found myself looking at blogs. I was shocked when I came across a blog asking readers to pray for Mia, another little girl who's blog I have read. When Mia was 4 months old she received a heart transplant. This year she turned 4. Last week I had read Mia's mom's post saying how excited they were to go to Disney World for Mia's Make a Wish trip. I found out though that instead of enjoying that vacation, they found themselves in the hospital hours after landing in Florida. Mia never made it to the park.

It was discovered that Mia's body was rejecting her heart. She was put on life support and Monday morning her family removed her from it. I was so surprised when I found this out because I had been reading Mia's blog for awhile and this rejection came out of the blue. I found myself crying thinking about how much pain her parents and siblings and other family members must be going through right now.

Life is hard. Especially for Mia's family right now, emotionally and financially. There has been a fund set up to help her family out with the financial issues. If you feel so inclined to donate or want to share the story, here is a link:

http://www.giveforward.com/achangeofheart

My Sister's Keeper

After reading My Sister’s Keeper, I felt very blessed for my life thus far. I recognized how quickly things can change within your family. Though my family was healthy at that point, I understood any day that could quickly change. Each day we have on this Earth is a blessing from our Heavenly Father. This book also inspired me to become a better person. I wanted to love everyone around me and find ways to help those in need. With my blessings, I can help other people with their weaknesses or in their trying times. I also felt a desire to show my family how much I love them. Not only could our time be cut short, but it’s important to show that love and devotion to family right now, when it matters. I don’t want to have any regrets with relationships I’ve had with family members and I want all members of my family to know and feel how much I love them.

Learning Suite

This morning I needed to get on learning suite to access slides for a class. For some reason, it wouldn't let me look at the slides and kept bringing up an error page. It had me worried because I really needed to view those slides. I realized how ridiculous it is how much I rely on looking at slides online from teachers. If people used to do college without computers and learning suite, I should be able to also. But I love being able to go back and look at slides to study and do homework. It's frustrating though when it doesn't work....

I love technology!

I was on lds.org today and noticed there was a page to invite others to watch General Conference. The page has links to put up banners, videos, and widgets on any social media site. I love that the church knows how important technology is and uses it to share messages of the gospel. It makes it so easy to show others what you believe and that you are supportive of those beliefs. Personally, I'm so excited for conference this weekend and can't wait to hear all the great and uplifting messages that will be shared!