Hey there!
I just need to say that yesterday was an amazing day and here's why
1. Lily Bowman, one of the most amazing gals I know, was baptized. It was probably the most beautiful baptism I've been to. It happened in the JSB 107...had no idea that there was a font in that building haha. But the room was PACKED. People were standing because there was no room. I think most of my ward was present. A boy in our ward, Aaron Potter, baptized her and Lily's roommates gave talks on the holy ghost and baptism. I hope that I never forget this event.
2. Sacrament was really really nice. Alyssa Parco gave a talk on integrity. Jacob Raymond gave a nice talk about being an example. Catherine gave a talk on the gospel in our lives. And then Zach gave a nice talk about missionary work.
3. Sunday School was excellent. Zach gave a lesson packed with a ton of themes. Honesty, Charity, and a bunch of other things. It was equally funny as it was spiritual. And at the end he read the Giving Tree which is my all time favorite book!
4. Relief Society was amazing too. Hallie gave a very insightful lesson about Temple Marriage. I liked the way she approached it.
5. I had dinner with some kids in my ward.
6. Ward prayer was hilarious!
Okay I am sleepy NIGHT
Also My parents sent me a Valentines Day package :) YAYYYYYYY LOVE THEM
Love
Kenna
Monday, February 11, 2013
Friday, February 8, 2013
I cannot wait for the mish
Sooooo my call didn't come this week :/
But it should be here next week for sure!!! I cannot wait. Here are some cool things i was looking at today...
http://hipsterrm.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/22-things-i-wish-i-would-have-known-before-my-mission/
I love that...also, this is cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4zZH0v8DcY
LOVE LOVE LOVE
So I made a decision today. When I get my mission call, I think I am going to open it all by myself rather than with a bunch of people. Recently I have been freaking out about the timing of when I get my mission call. I wanted a lot of my friends and family to skype me and be there when I opened it. But there was always a conflict with someone, either they were out of town or unable to Skype that day, etc. In addition to this, yesterday I went to a few mission calls. There were a TONS of people crammed into this little lobby. There was one mission call after the other and idk...it just seemed really hectic, a little too hectic for me at least. Later that night I was talking to Collette and we talked about how hectic it was tonight. This morning as I was walking to class I was thinking about how I would open it up and then, I developed a plan...
When I get my call, I am going to call up my brother Stephen and immediately set up a time to get picked up by him. Then, I am going to have him drive me to the mountains and we are going to hike up. Then, he is going to give me a priesthood blessing. Then, I meander into a further part of the mountain by myself and open the envelope and read it, give myself a few moments to soak it in. Then I will run out to my brother and tell him, then go back and tell my family and friends.
I want to go to the mountains because the prophets of old were able to best connect with God up there. Moses, Joseph Smith, the brother of Jared, so many. I want to have that same spiritual connection when opening my call.
I cannot wait to do that. It will be so great and I cannot wait. Anytime now, my call will be here :)
Love,
Kenna
But it should be here next week for sure!!! I cannot wait. Here are some cool things i was looking at today...
http://hipsterrm.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/22-things-i-wish-i-would-have-known-before-my-mission/
22 things I wish I would have known before my mission
Let’s get personal for a minute, guys.
I decided to post 22 things I wish I would have known before my mission.
- It’s true. All of it. Everything we believe is really, actually, 100 percent real. I knew the Church was true, and I had always known the Gospel of Jesus Christ was true, but somewhere in the disconnect of my mind and reality it had seemed like one big great idea. Far from it, guys. It’s real. This knowledge came in really helpful as a missionary.
- Mission calls are inspired. This is coming from the girl that prayed to God and told him he made a mistake after she got her call. False. God doesn’t make mistakes. He sends YOU to the place where YOU are needed. If you are feeling hesitant about your call, let’s be friends.
- D & C 100:5-6. Trust me.
- Be brave. All those times I didn’t talk to someone on the street because they looked busy or disinterested? Yeah, I wish I would have talked to them. All those times it seemed uncomfortable and I didn’t want to ruin my chances? Yeah, I should have contacted them. Talk to everyone.
- Serve your companion. Like, all the time.
- Don’t buy new scriptures. For the love of everything. Don’t buy new ones.
- Your stomach will stretch. I promise you, if you don’t think you can take another bite of food during your third dinner of the night, you absolutely can. Courage, brethren, and on, on to victory.
- You’ll forget. All those moments you think “I’ll never forget this experience, I don’t need to write it in my journal.” Write it down. You’ll forget.
- You’re normal. One thing I learned is that every missionary that has ever tracted the face of this earth had already felt what I was feeling. I wasn’t an anomaly because sometimes I wasn’t motivated after District Meetings on Tuesdays. I wasn’t crazy because I worried about being worthy enough to be an effective vessel of the spirit. Everything I was feeling was normal. And everything you will feel will be normal. Enjoy the ride.
- Equality. Everyone, and I mean everyone. Is a child of God. Never in your life will you have more reason to wonder, as you see some of the most bizzare or heartbreaking things, but trust me on this. We are all children of God. And he loves us dearly. Brace yourself to feel that love for the people you serve. Totally blindsided me. Totally.
- The end does come. I promise. The end of the transfer will ALWAYS come. Six weeks isn’t eternity. Yeah, it absolutely feels like it at times. But you can do it. It’s all about love.
- Introspection. If I ever had a problem with someone on my mission whether it was a companion, another missionary, a ward member or an investigator, it was me that had to do the changing. Every time.
- Prayers. You will pray as you never have before, and 97 percent of it will not be for yourself. It’s great.
- You’re going to gain weight. It’s fine. It magically comes off when you get home. Promise.
- Be obedient. In everything. Always. 100 percent.
- Lose yourself. I had always heard that sweet little story of “you have to lose yourself in order to find yourself.” Testimonial: it totally works, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
- Get over yourself. Maybe you were a big deal on the football field. Maybe you were the best writer on your newspaper staff. Maybe you were the most beautiful and popular girl at your school. Maybe you gave the funniest talks in sacrament meeting. Cool. But you’re a missionary now, and none of that stuff really matters. What does matter is that you are doing what you can to fulfill your purpose. Because guess what? It’s so not about you. And it’s FANTASTIC.
- Love everyone. I’m serious.
- Study, study, study, study. You have two hours each morning. Make them count, and miracles happen. For reals.
- Never ignore a prompting. I once had one to drive over 14 miles into what was essentially a field. Some of the greatest moments of my mission happened because of that. NEVER ignore a prompting.
- Lock your heart. Boys are dumb. Girls are dumb. Even when they are missionaries.
- You are enough. God has never, nor will he ever call a missionary to fail. He knows you, he knows your investigators, and YOU are enough to be His hands as you labor in His vineyard.
I love that...also, this is cool
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4zZH0v8DcY
LOVE LOVE LOVE
So I made a decision today. When I get my mission call, I think I am going to open it all by myself rather than with a bunch of people. Recently I have been freaking out about the timing of when I get my mission call. I wanted a lot of my friends and family to skype me and be there when I opened it. But there was always a conflict with someone, either they were out of town or unable to Skype that day, etc. In addition to this, yesterday I went to a few mission calls. There were a TONS of people crammed into this little lobby. There was one mission call after the other and idk...it just seemed really hectic, a little too hectic for me at least. Later that night I was talking to Collette and we talked about how hectic it was tonight. This morning as I was walking to class I was thinking about how I would open it up and then, I developed a plan...
When I get my call, I am going to call up my brother Stephen and immediately set up a time to get picked up by him. Then, I am going to have him drive me to the mountains and we are going to hike up. Then, he is going to give me a priesthood blessing. Then, I meander into a further part of the mountain by myself and open the envelope and read it, give myself a few moments to soak it in. Then I will run out to my brother and tell him, then go back and tell my family and friends.
I want to go to the mountains because the prophets of old were able to best connect with God up there. Moses, Joseph Smith, the brother of Jared, so many. I want to have that same spiritual connection when opening my call.
I cannot wait to do that. It will be so great and I cannot wait. Anytime now, my call will be here :)
Love,
Kenna
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
I love work
I need to make this a quick entry because I am sick (again) and sleepy and I have to get up at 8am. But I just gotta say that I absolutely LOVE working at the MTC cafeteria. Today I worked an extra shift and it is just so easy to meet people. I love talking to the elders and sisters when I serve them. This job is confirming my belief that whatever I career I have in the future, I will do very well working with people. It also confirms that I will be a good people-person kind of missionary and that approaching strangers shouldn't be too hard for me. Until next time :)
Love,
Kenna
Love,
Kenna
Friday, February 1, 2013
Top 10 People I Would Hit Up In Heaven
Well howdy!
Well first off...I would like to share this amazing gem of a video that I found via wimp.com
http://www.wimp.com/brotherscover/
I told my roommate who is majoring in music education that she ought to teach elementary aged kids because this kind of stuff is not worth passing up.
Well today was...meh. Classes were alright. The weather was really warm today! It was partly cloudy with 44 degree weather! WOW. And I also had a really great work out today. Then I just kinda sat around watching Parks and Rec and then Collette nailed her music major audition. Then we ate food at the Cannon and went to her friend's mission call opening. She is going to Spokane WA!!! WOOOOOOO. Collette's other friend is going to Everett WA. I am convinced that Collette is going to go to Seattle. She would do so well there. WA people need to get more involved with the gospel and religion. We are lacking. We are only 5-8% religious (aka the least religious state in the nation) COOOL. So we need some missionaries down there already.
I have a lot of tests coming up and work early in the morning tomorrow so I am not doing anything fun tonight unfortunately. Oh but here is something fun...I'm goin on a date tomorrow. First date in a while so I am excited. My date is my buddy from work at the MTC. He is a real solid guy. I don't really know what we are doing yet but I will report more on that in tomorrow's entry.
The scriptures are great, today I read about the early organizations and covenants being learned by the prophets. It baffles me how small it started out and how rapidly it is increasing now. I love it. :) And with all the missionaries goin out it is just going to get bigger and bigger and better and better. YAY.
So since I do not have a lot to talk about to tonight I thought I'd do something pretty random. Make a list of the top 10 people that I would like to hit up in heaven. Why not. (This does not count Christ or Heavenly Father, they are an obvious choice. As is family and friends.)
TOP TEN PEOPLE THAT MCKENNA IS GOING TO HIT UP IN HEAVEN
#10 Glozell or whatever her real name is
I would like to personally thank her for making me literally laugh out loud at multiple times in my life.
#9 Chris Martin
Love love love Coldplay and him. I would like to let him know personally
#8 Martin Luther King Jr
One of the most influential men in history. I love his story and his words. I would love to shake his hand in heaven.
#7 Walt Disney
I love this man with all of my heart.
#6 Kid President
makes my heart smile now, he'll probably make it smile in the future too.
#5 John Locke
i hope you didn't think that I meant the philosopher. I'm talkin about John Freakin Locke from Lost. HE IS A BOSS. I know that he's not real, but idk, sometimes I secretly hope that fictional characters will exist in the millennium. If they do, then he is first on that list.
#4 Ryan Gosling
i really just want to meet him....that's it.
#3 Gordon B. Hinckley
One of the most loved men in the world. So adorable.
#2 Joseph Smith:
I have learned so much about this man in the past while and my testimony of him has grown so much. I love him and cannot wait to talk to him one day.
and finally........
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#1 George Washington:
He is SUCH A BOSS. I studied his life briefly in American Heritage last year and he is an amazing man. His #1 goal in life was to obtain a high level of being a gentleman. He was told that he would amount to nothing--BS!!!! And whenever he was present at a meeting, everyone looked up at him, and for his approval and he made the meetings legit. I think he is a boss and I can't wait to meet this guy.
Until next time.
Love,
Kenna
Well first off...I would like to share this amazing gem of a video that I found via wimp.com
http://www.wimp.com/brotherscover/
I told my roommate who is majoring in music education that she ought to teach elementary aged kids because this kind of stuff is not worth passing up.
Well today was...meh. Classes were alright. The weather was really warm today! It was partly cloudy with 44 degree weather! WOW. And I also had a really great work out today. Then I just kinda sat around watching Parks and Rec and then Collette nailed her music major audition. Then we ate food at the Cannon and went to her friend's mission call opening. She is going to Spokane WA!!! WOOOOOOO. Collette's other friend is going to Everett WA. I am convinced that Collette is going to go to Seattle. She would do so well there. WA people need to get more involved with the gospel and religion. We are lacking. We are only 5-8% religious (aka the least religious state in the nation) COOOL. So we need some missionaries down there already.
I have a lot of tests coming up and work early in the morning tomorrow so I am not doing anything fun tonight unfortunately. Oh but here is something fun...I'm goin on a date tomorrow. First date in a while so I am excited. My date is my buddy from work at the MTC. He is a real solid guy. I don't really know what we are doing yet but I will report more on that in tomorrow's entry.
The scriptures are great, today I read about the early organizations and covenants being learned by the prophets. It baffles me how small it started out and how rapidly it is increasing now. I love it. :) And with all the missionaries goin out it is just going to get bigger and bigger and better and better. YAY.
So since I do not have a lot to talk about to tonight I thought I'd do something pretty random. Make a list of the top 10 people that I would like to hit up in heaven. Why not. (This does not count Christ or Heavenly Father, they are an obvious choice. As is family and friends.)
TOP TEN PEOPLE THAT MCKENNA IS GOING TO HIT UP IN HEAVEN
#10 Glozell or whatever her real name is
I would like to personally thank her for making me literally laugh out loud at multiple times in my life.
#9 Chris Martin
Love love love Coldplay and him. I would like to let him know personally
#8 Martin Luther King Jr
One of the most influential men in history. I love his story and his words. I would love to shake his hand in heaven.
#7 Walt Disney
I love this man with all of my heart.
#6 Kid President
makes my heart smile now, he'll probably make it smile in the future too.
#5 John Locke
i hope you didn't think that I meant the philosopher. I'm talkin about John Freakin Locke from Lost. HE IS A BOSS. I know that he's not real, but idk, sometimes I secretly hope that fictional characters will exist in the millennium. If they do, then he is first on that list.
#4 Ryan Gosling
i really just want to meet him....that's it.
#3 Gordon B. Hinckley
One of the most loved men in the world. So adorable.
#2 Joseph Smith:
I have learned so much about this man in the past while and my testimony of him has grown so much. I love him and cannot wait to talk to him one day.
and finally........
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
#1 George Washington:
He is SUCH A BOSS. I studied his life briefly in American Heritage last year and he is an amazing man. His #1 goal in life was to obtain a high level of being a gentleman. He was told that he would amount to nothing--BS!!!! And whenever he was present at a meeting, everyone looked up at him, and for his approval and he made the meetings legit. I think he is a boss and I can't wait to meet this guy.
Until next time.
Love,
Kenna
Thursday, January 31, 2013
A Few Reasons Why I am Looking Forward to the Month of February
HAPPY LAST DAY OF JANUARY!!!!!!!
I LOVE February and I absolutely cannot wait for next month. I have a few reasons to be excited...For instance:
1. My mission papers are in and I hear back next month:
Well it is officially official...MY PAPERS ARE IN. Yesterday I was finally able to meet the with the stake president. His name is President Rasband. He was a really great guy and a great interviewer as well. I had a great time talking to him. He explained the interview process so crystal clear. The mission interview is very different from your standard temple recommend interview, it is a lot more intense...especially if you have a lot to get off your chest. But this is done because when you are on a mission, it is important to not let things from the past get in your way. The stake president needs to know that you are past everything and ready to move forward. The best part of the interview was when he asked me the first question, "Do you have faith and believe in Heavenly Father, His son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?" I don't know what happened but that question made me light up and smile, and then I let out a brief giggle. Rasband was like, "Why are you laughing?" I was like, "Ha I don't know...I guess I am just really happy that I can answer that question with a certain yes." Whenever I feel the spirit I respond in a few different ways. I cry sometimes, but usually I just smile and laugh. I hope that future investigators realize that I am not laughing because of humor, it is just because I am really happy. At the end of the interview I ended up having to change my availability date because he said he needed to send it in on a Wednesday (the 30th) so I changed it from June 1st to May 30th. He typed in his recommendation and then let me press the "SEND" button. I pressed it and said, "Tah-Dah!" And just like that it was into SLC!
I can't believe that in 2-3 weeks I will know where I am meant to serve for the next year and a half of my life. I cannot wait! It should be here by the 13th of February. If not then, it will come on my birthday! I got home and put this as my status:
What impressed me most about this post was that the majority of people who "liked" it were my non-LDS friends. It seriously means a lot that even though they are not of my faith, they still support my decisions and care for me. It really shows who my true friends are.
2. Ground Hog Day:
I love this day mostly because it means that I get to watch the movie Ground Hog Day. It is HILARIOUS.
3. A lot of my friends will get their mission calls
4. Galentine's Day!!!!!
It is on February 13th and I have always wanted to do this with a bunch of girlfriends! Soooo college is a perfect time to do it because I have a ton of girl friends here who are readily available for bonding time! The idea came from Parks and Rec. We will probably do something similar to this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEjN1pgJbXM
(The description is in the first few minutes of the video)
5. Izzy Bernal is coming into town to check out BYU and she wants to shadow me!
6. It is my birthday on the 20th :) My mom is coming into town so that we can buy mission clothes :) Cool beans.
I am so thankful for my life!!!! To quote Nacho Libre, "My life is good, reeeealllllyyy good." Until next time.
Love,
Kenna
I LOVE February and I absolutely cannot wait for next month. I have a few reasons to be excited...For instance:
1. My mission papers are in and I hear back next month:
Well it is officially official...MY PAPERS ARE IN. Yesterday I was finally able to meet the with the stake president. His name is President Rasband. He was a really great guy and a great interviewer as well. I had a great time talking to him. He explained the interview process so crystal clear. The mission interview is very different from your standard temple recommend interview, it is a lot more intense...especially if you have a lot to get off your chest. But this is done because when you are on a mission, it is important to not let things from the past get in your way. The stake president needs to know that you are past everything and ready to move forward. The best part of the interview was when he asked me the first question, "Do you have faith and believe in Heavenly Father, His son, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost?" I don't know what happened but that question made me light up and smile, and then I let out a brief giggle. Rasband was like, "Why are you laughing?" I was like, "Ha I don't know...I guess I am just really happy that I can answer that question with a certain yes." Whenever I feel the spirit I respond in a few different ways. I cry sometimes, but usually I just smile and laugh. I hope that future investigators realize that I am not laughing because of humor, it is just because I am really happy. At the end of the interview I ended up having to change my availability date because he said he needed to send it in on a Wednesday (the 30th) so I changed it from June 1st to May 30th. He typed in his recommendation and then let me press the "SEND" button. I pressed it and said, "Tah-Dah!" And just like that it was into SLC!
I can't believe that in 2-3 weeks I will know where I am meant to serve for the next year and a half of my life. I cannot wait! It should be here by the 13th of February. If not then, it will come on my birthday! I got home and put this as my status:
2. Ground Hog Day:
I love this day mostly because it means that I get to watch the movie Ground Hog Day. It is HILARIOUS.
3. A lot of my friends will get their mission calls
4. Galentine's Day!!!!!
It is on February 13th and I have always wanted to do this with a bunch of girlfriends! Soooo college is a perfect time to do it because I have a ton of girl friends here who are readily available for bonding time! The idea came from Parks and Rec. We will probably do something similar to this...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEjN1pgJbXM
(The description is in the first few minutes of the video)
5. Izzy Bernal is coming into town to check out BYU and she wants to shadow me!
6. It is my birthday on the 20th :) My mom is coming into town so that we can buy mission clothes :) Cool beans.
I am so thankful for my life!!!! To quote Nacho Libre, "My life is good, reeeealllllyyy good." Until next time.
Love,
Kenna
Friday, January 25, 2013
Grab Your Ice Skates and A Quick Mission Rant
Hola!
Oh man yesterday the weirdest phenomena that I have ever seen happened. It rained...and then the rain froze to the ground because the ground was so cold. So basically, Provo got iced over. People going to class in the morning basically ice skated there way around campus. And one guy actually got ice skates at the thrift shop and literally ICE SKATED TO CLASS. Super awesome. Other than that, people were slipping all over the place. ER sirens were goin off all day and Kristin, the girl in my hall that I visit teach, even went to the ER because she got a bad concussion! Scary! But other than that, watching people slip all over the place was hilarious. Luckily, I never fell...but that is just because I am a ninja so no biggie. Here is a compilation of many videos from that event:
Oh man yesterday the weirdest phenomena that I have ever seen happened. It rained...and then the rain froze to the ground because the ground was so cold. So basically, Provo got iced over. People going to class in the morning basically ice skated there way around campus. And one guy actually got ice skates at the thrift shop and literally ICE SKATED TO CLASS. Super awesome. Other than that, people were slipping all over the place. ER sirens were goin off all day and Kristin, the girl in my hall that I visit teach, even went to the ER because she got a bad concussion! Scary! But other than that, watching people slip all over the place was hilarious. Luckily, I never fell...but that is just because I am a ninja so no biggie. Here is a compilation of many videos from that event:
Oh I love it. Anyways...today is crazy too! SOOOOO many mission calls. Niki Barrow is going to the England London North Mission (NICE!) I am soooo happy and excited for her. I am also attending a ton of mission calls tonight. Robert is getting his, Lauren (EFY) is getting hers, Shaun (boy in my ward) is opening his later.
I JUST WANT MY FREAKIN CALL ALREADY!!!!!!!!!!2o1r1h481o4jf91j4fj13o8y429823(*!@&*@*#~3pie1ij2fnjlk13j..................
Oh also more good news! My mom is probably going to fly out here for my birthday weekend :] And we are going to buy mission clothes and stuff! By then I will know where I am going. I can't believe that...in less than a month I will have my call. I will know where I am headed to serve the Lord. I will know what people have been prepared for me and that I have been prepared for those people. I re-read my patriarchal blessing today and something else stood out to me. It said that it would be important for me to teach about Christ and the Atonement. Also that it would be important for me to teach about the Joseph Smith revelation. I think that is awesome because before I even decided that I wanted to go on a mission, I signed up for a New Testament and JS History class. It is crazy how things work out like that. :) Boy I cannot wait. Until next time...
Love,
Kenna
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
I Am Sleepy
So....it is late (for me anyways) and I am sleepy so this is going to be a short post. Today was great and productive. I finished all of my homework in a jiffy. Talked to the bishop and my papers are being sent to the stake president on Sunday. I meet with President Rasband next week and the papers will be sent in a week! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH so excited! Then I went to a movie party in the guys dorm and we watched Cloudy With A Chance of Meatballs. I LOVED IT. Mr T's character was bomb. I then went home and started eating my dinner until i spilled it everywhere. Then I ate saltines and carrots and watched Frenimies until Hannah called. I forgot how much I missed that girl.
We had some great conversations and now I am sleepy and about to go to bed.
One quick spiritual thought: it is amazing how happy service makes me feel. I always feel productive when I serve others. Today I made a real effort to help everyone. I made tea for my friend Kristin with the flu and I edited Amanda's paper. They were little tasks for me, but seeing what a big impact it had on others made me feel happy and full of the spirit. :)
Mosiah 2:17
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the bservice of your cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
Until tomorrow.
Love,
Kenna
We had some great conversations and now I am sleepy and about to go to bed.
One quick spiritual thought: it is amazing how happy service makes me feel. I always feel productive when I serve others. Today I made a real effort to help everyone. I made tea for my friend Kristin with the flu and I edited Amanda's paper. They were little tasks for me, but seeing what a big impact it had on others made me feel happy and full of the spirit. :)
Mosiah 2:17
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn awisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the bservice of your cfellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
Until tomorrow.
Love,
Kenna
Monday, January 21, 2013
A Few Spiritual Thoughts...
Hey!
Like I said before I am merging my two blogs. So....here it is...
JANUARY 6TH 2013
After my meeting with the bishop this morning I had 30 minutes to kill until sacrament meeting so I decided to read my scriptures. Today I finished 3 Nephi! I started reading the Book of Mormon around October of last year and once I finish it will be the first time reading it all the way through so this is a pretty exciting thing! Yay!
Here are my thoughts on 3 Nephi 21-29
To start, I absolutely love reading about the Savior visiting the Americas. I also absolutely love this picture:
I love all of things that Christ did for us. He healed the sick and hurt. He blessed the little children and us and made it so that we are able to repent for our sins. He is such an important person in the plan of salvation. I love that he came back to the world after resurrection. I love his selflessness. He is such a great example of service and humility to me.
Another great thing about the end of 3 Nephi was the explaination of the Plan of Salvation in chapter 27.
13 Behold I have given unto you my agospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the bwill of my Father, because my Father sent me.
Today I was reading in the last chapters of the Book of Ether. I encountered some very moving verses in Ether 12 and 15 that I would like to share.
First in Ether 12:5-22
Like I said before I am merging my two blogs. So....here it is...
JANUARY 6TH 2013
After my meeting with the bishop this morning I had 30 minutes to kill until sacrament meeting so I decided to read my scriptures. Today I finished 3 Nephi! I started reading the Book of Mormon around October of last year and once I finish it will be the first time reading it all the way through so this is a pretty exciting thing! Yay!
Here are my thoughts on 3 Nephi 21-29
To start, I absolutely love reading about the Savior visiting the Americas. I also absolutely love this picture:
I love all of things that Christ did for us. He healed the sick and hurt. He blessed the little children and us and made it so that we are able to repent for our sins. He is such an important person in the plan of salvation. I love that he came back to the world after resurrection. I love his selflessness. He is such a great example of service and humility to me.
Another great thing about the end of 3 Nephi was the explaination of the Plan of Salvation in chapter 27.
13 Behold I have given unto you my agospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the bwill of my Father, because my Father sent me.
14 And my Father sent me that I might be alifted up upon the bcross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the ccross, that I might ddraw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be ejudged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—
15 And for this cause have I been alifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their bworks.
16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso arepenteth and is baptized in my bname shall be filled; and if he cendureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world.
17 And he that endureth not unto the end, the same is he that is also hewn down and cast into the fire, from whence they can no more return, because of the ajustice of the Father.
18 And this is the word which he hath given unto the children of men. And for this cause he fulfilleth the words which he hath given, and he lieth not, but fulfilleth all his words.
19 And ano unclean thing can enter into his kingdom; therefore nothing entereth into his brest save it be those who have cwashed their garments in my blood, because of their faith, and the repentance of all their sins, and their faithfulness unto the end.
20 Now this is the commandment: aRepent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be bbaptized in my name, that ye may be csanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand dspotless before me at the last day.
21 Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my agospel; and ye know the things that ye must bdo in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do; for that which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do;
I am so excited that I have the option to live in the celestial kingdom if I work hard enough in this life. I was watching the season finale of Lost with my roommate Collette. In the end, Jack (who is now dead) is reunited with all of his friends and his father as spirits. I cannot even imagine that day, returning to heaven and being reunited with EVERYBODY. Including my father in Heaven and Jesus Christ. And then I will get to raise a kingdom of my own. That is going to be incredible. I am so thankful for that knowledge that the spirit and gospel has given me.
Well those were my main thoughts. On to 4 Nephi!
Love
Kenna
JANUARY 9TH 2013
So I am really glad that I had the inspiration to keep up with this journal beforehand because as it turns out for my Mission Prep class I am supposed to keep a scripture journal! So YAY, more motivation to record my impressions daily.
So need to make this quick, but today I read the Mission Preparation manual and the Joseph Smith Restoration Manual. These are amazing textbooks.
The Joseph Smith manual was a lot like American heritage at BYU. It talked about how the Americas were prepared for the restoration of the church of Jesus Christ through inspired revolutionists, leaders, and reformers. It had a lot of interesting perspectives about the world before the restoration. It strengthened my testimony in the gospel tremendously.
Another text is the Mission Preparation Manual
My homework was to read the first chapter of this manual: Called to Serve. It started out quoting a lot of general authorities about missionary work. One quote really stuck out to me:
"To you who will accept the call to go forth and serve, I can promise you that your good name will never be forgotten in this world or in the eternities to come. So again we issue this clarion call that the Lord of the harvest will send forth laborers in increased numbers, for the field is white, all ready to harvest."
--Elder L. Tom Perry.
There are two reasons why this quote is so true and awesome.
1. I love the part about how our names will never be forgotten if we help the Lord spread His gospel. I am sure that those who we introduce and convert into the gospel will be forever grateful in the eternities to come because we are the ones who showed them the way to live with God and their families again.
2. The last part he said about there being more laborers has come true! After the mission call announcement there are SOOOO many more missionaries that are going out into the field. It is awesome. I am so glad that our leaders have received the inspiration to lower the age changed because SO many lives will be and have already been affected by the gospel in their lives.
On a last note, today I finished my papers for my mission. My passport came in. All I need to do is go to the stake president to submit everything. It is such an exciting time in the history of the church and my life. :)
I know the church is true with all of my heart.
Love, Kenna
JANUARY 18TH 2013
First in Ether 12:5-22
5 And it came to pass that Ether did prophesy great and marvelous things unto the people, which they did not believe, because they asaw them not.
6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that afaith is things which are bhoped for and cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no dwitness until after the etrial of your faith.
7 For it was by faith that Christ showed himself unto our fathers, after he had risen from the dead; and he showed not himself unto them until after they had faith in him; wherefore, it must needs be that some had faith in him, for he showed himself anot unto the world.
8 But because of the faith of men he has shown himself unto the world, and glorified the name of the Father, and prepared a way that thereby others might be partakers of the heavenly gift, that they might hope for those things which they have not seen.
11 Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the agift of his Son hath God prepared a more bexcellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled.
12 For if there be no afaith among the children of men God can do no bmiracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.
14 Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the achange upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the bHoly Ghost.
15 Behold, it was the faith of aAmmon and his brethren which bwrought so great a miracle among the Lamanites.
16 Yea, and even all they who wrought amiracles wrought them by bfaith, even those who were before Christ and also those who were after.
17 And it was by faith that the three disciples obtained a promise that they should anot taste of death; and they obtained not the promise until after their faith.
18 And neither at any time hath any wrought miracles until after their faith; wherefore they first believed in the Son of God.
19 And there were many whose faith was so exceedingly strong, even abefore Christ came, who could not be kept from within the bveil, but truly saw with their eyes the things which they had beheld with an eye of faith, and they were glad.
20 And behold, we have seen in this record that one of these was the brother of Jared; for so great was his faith in God, that when God put forth his afinger he could not hide it from the sight of the brother of Jared, because of his word which he had spoken unto him, which word he had obtained by faith.
21 And after the brother of Jared had beheld the finger of the Lord, because of the apromise which the brother of Jared had obtained by faith, the Lord could not withhold anything from his sight; wherefore he showed him all things, for he could no longer be kept without the bveil.
22 And it is by faith that my fathers have obtained the apromise that these things should come unto their brethren through the Gentiles; therefore the Lord hath commanded me, yea, even Jesus Christ.
Faith is one of the most important compnents of religion or pretty much anything, because without faith you would have no belief system whatsoever. My definition of faith is to believe in something without a seeing or having physical proof of something. When I think about what faith has done in the world, I think about this chapter. Obviously, faith is the key to doing all things as evident by the prophets of old described in the verses I shared. Currently faith is very important in my life pertaining to my mission call. Two things come to mind...I need to have faith in the first presidency because they are the ones who will be in tune with the spirit so that they may have it recealed to them where I am to go on my mission. I also need to have faith in myself. There are a lot of feelings that come along with going on a mission: anxiety, doubt, maybe even fear...but I MUST remain faithful in order to keep motivation to do the things that I need to do on my mission. If I do so, I will be able to all things as the prophets of old have done.
A second verse that stuck out to me was in Ether 15:19
19 But behold, the aSpirit of the Lord had ceased striving with them, and bSatan had full power over the chearts of the people; for they were given up unto the hardness of their hearts, and the blindness of their minds that they might be destroyed; wherefore they went again to battle.
I testify that Satan is a real spirit because I have felt his influence multiple times in my life. After meeting with the bishop 2 months ago about going on a mission he told me, "I just want you to know, from here on out Satan is going to do whatever he can to tempt you and make you change your mind about going on a mission. He will do anything to prevent the spread of the gospel." This really scared me at first, but later I shrugged it off. However, recently I have looked back and realized that there have been A LOT of times in these past 2 months where Satan has had a real hold on my heart. Have you noticed that I havent written in this blog for the past week or so? It is because I have been lacking on my scripture reading. Every day it is the same struggle to read my scriptures. I am supposed to be reading 30 mins a day and recording my thoughts. But every day the moment I begin to consider reading my scriptures a dark voice comes in my head..."Not tonight, McKenna...another day." I have fallen into this procrastinating influence for far too long. I have also had problems with being honest to myself and others. To overcome these tempations and doubts is NOT easy...but it is most certainly and definitely possible. My solution has been to keep my mission in mind, make promises with prayer, and look at life from a eternal perspective. I promise, it is not worth it to let Satan take control of your heart. It will only lead you to regreat and shame.
These things I know to be true
Love,
Kenna
Thank You MLK
Hey yall
I have neglected to write in this for awhile! OKAY so a few big items of news
1.
THE MISSION PAPERS ARE IN...well almost. So everything that I can do is done and turned in. What's next is meeting with the stake president this Sunday. Then he will hang on to them hit the "Send" button on February 1st AND THEN they will be in! YIPEE!
2. My job at the MTC is amazing. It is a lot of work but it is so worth it. I love the Elders and Sisters. Being in their presense has encouraged me to be a missionary even more. Everyone is so polite and lovely. There was this Branch President that came up to me yesterday and thanked me for my cheerfulness. He said that those who have a cheerful heart are filled with the spirit. So awesome, it made my day for sure. It is also pretty awesome to see people right before they go out on the field. So far I have seen:
Elder Preston Tiegs--Missouri
Elder Jeff Orgill--Cali
Elder Tyler Brennan--Colorado
Elder Dallin Inglass--Marshall Islands (soooo great to see this guy! i met his buddies and got a pic with him.)
It is awesome. They all look so happy. And Elder Phillip Stafford comes in this Wednesday so I gotta keep my eyes peeled for him! I have also made many friends who work with me. I also serve a lot and sometimes i get tired of saying "Have a great day!" so i play this game that Kristin taught me. You look at the Last name (on the name tag) and take the first letter and use an adjective. For example: "Have a Terrific day Sister Tracy!" "Have a Beautiful day Elder Brown!" The Elders and Sisters get a kick out of it (if they catch on anyways.)
The only thing that sucks about this job is that I have to bike to and from work in 1-10 degree weather. Oh the woes of not having a car.
3. School is super great and not too stressful.
4. I love my ward....A LOT
5. I am going to adjust my blog a little bit. I have a seperate blog for spiritual thoughts (it is kind of my spiritual journal in a way...) but I have decided to merge the two because i am too lazy to write on two blogs a day. So from now on I'll put spiritual thoughts here too. I am going to re-post the past thoughts onto this blog.
6. I promise to write in this more.
7. I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON--IT IS TRUE.
8. My day: Today started out rocky but ended up being rather fabulous. We had no school today because it is MLK Day. I woke up and went running then came back and decided to post a quote by MLK in honor of him...
I have neglected to write in this for awhile! OKAY so a few big items of news
1.
THE MISSION PAPERS ARE IN...well almost. So everything that I can do is done and turned in. What's next is meeting with the stake president this Sunday. Then he will hang on to them hit the "Send" button on February 1st AND THEN they will be in! YIPEE!
2. My job at the MTC is amazing. It is a lot of work but it is so worth it. I love the Elders and Sisters. Being in their presense has encouraged me to be a missionary even more. Everyone is so polite and lovely. There was this Branch President that came up to me yesterday and thanked me for my cheerfulness. He said that those who have a cheerful heart are filled with the spirit. So awesome, it made my day for sure. It is also pretty awesome to see people right before they go out on the field. So far I have seen:
Elder Preston Tiegs--Missouri
Elder Jeff Orgill--Cali
Elder Tyler Brennan--Colorado
Elder Dallin Inglass--Marshall Islands (soooo great to see this guy! i met his buddies and got a pic with him.)
It is awesome. They all look so happy. And Elder Phillip Stafford comes in this Wednesday so I gotta keep my eyes peeled for him! I have also made many friends who work with me. I also serve a lot and sometimes i get tired of saying "Have a great day!" so i play this game that Kristin taught me. You look at the Last name (on the name tag) and take the first letter and use an adjective. For example: "Have a Terrific day Sister Tracy!" "Have a Beautiful day Elder Brown!" The Elders and Sisters get a kick out of it (if they catch on anyways.)
The only thing that sucks about this job is that I have to bike to and from work in 1-10 degree weather. Oh the woes of not having a car.
3. School is super great and not too stressful.
4. I love my ward....A LOT
5. I am going to adjust my blog a little bit. I have a seperate blog for spiritual thoughts (it is kind of my spiritual journal in a way...) but I have decided to merge the two because i am too lazy to write on two blogs a day. So from now on I'll put spiritual thoughts here too. I am going to re-post the past thoughts onto this blog.
6. I promise to write in this more.
7. I FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON--IT IS TRUE.
8. My day: Today started out rocky but ended up being rather fabulous. We had no school today because it is MLK Day. I woke up and went running then came back and decided to post a quote by MLK in honor of him...
"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." --Martin Luther King Jr.
So this quote is amazing. I found it to be true first hand today. Collette has been down all morning because her dog died. She hasn't been herself today and she kinda was moody all morning. I interpreted it to be anger at me initially and I was getting upset myself. But then I thought about this quote...and I thought about Christ. And it hit me, I shouldn't react with anger. What will that solve? Nothing. Rather I decided to channel this into love. While she was gone I cleaned the ENTIRE room. I made her bed, I fixed the lights, I cleaned her desk. I left a scripture on her desk and bought her candy. While doing this I felt incredibly happy and productive. When she got home she was extremely grateful and posted a pic on FB saying "I love my roommate! First reason to smile all day." I am so happy and thankful for MLK and Christ for the examples they are. Next time I am mad or sad I must remember this feeling. Love everybody. Hate aint worth it.
Love Kenna
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Cray Cray Day Day
So today was CRAY.
First day of school. I have a sinus infection so it has been really hard to sleep lately. I woke up aroun5 and sat in bed listening to my ipod till 7:30. I then got up and ready for school I had no voice today because my throat was so congested. I sounded like a man all day lol.
First class was stats which was okay. i can tell it is going to be struggle but I found Jared and his gf in that class so it should be okay. Plus I know a lot of math geeks at this school that will help me. :)
Antropology was good too. Amanda is in my class. There are some real weirdos in that class though, not gonna lie. But it was nice. Crandall is funny and British so he is nice to listen too. Also the class sounds interesting and there are no tests! YAY. Just writing DOUBLE YAY!
Like I said before, today was really sporatic. After I got done with my classes I headed over to the employment office to turn in my work forms so that I could be officially hired at the MTC. I initially thought that I would go turn in my papers super fast and then go to my doctors appointment and then go home and sleep till dinner....
As Chuck Testa would say...
When I got into the employment office it was P-A-C-K-E-D! The line was incredibly long. At first I was like "Dang it--this really sucks." But as I stood in line people around me who were also waiting in line started to make use of their time and get to know the people they were standing in line with. I talked to this Colombian girl and we talked about how my dad served his mission there and how cool the country is. I talked to this huge 7 foot tall guy on the volleyball team and he gave me really good insight on Food Science. I also got to catch up with some people I knew previously like Kiley, JC, and Sam. It was an extremely long wait, but I felt somehow--happy. And content. Everyone around us was making friends with complete strangers and it was a good feeling. All of the impatience and selfishness I felt before just erased from my mind briefly.
I had to leave before I got to actually turn in my papers because I wanted to make it to my doctor's appointment on time. Again, I was stressed about my schedule not going acording to plan. I speed walked to the Student Health Center. Once there I had to do some more waiting. I sat in the waiting room for about 30 minutes. Instead of impatiently staring at the wall during that time, I found a copy of the newest Ensign from general conference and a copy of the Book of Mormon. I picked up both and began to read. The words of the prophets were just what I needed to cure my impatience at the moment. Time passed by so quickly and I was completely absorbed in the spirit. Once again feeling content.
Afterwards I went back to the employment center and stood in line yet again. Unfirtunatley when I got to the front I was faced with another problem...I couldnt turn in my papers because I needed a social security card. GEE DANG IT. Feeling again, defeated...I said a quick prayer. I just wanted to get my papers in. And now I had to walk a mile from my dorm in the 10 degree weather just to wait in more lines? and not just any line....government building lines which are the absolute WORST. I walked out of the building when suddenly I saw my home teacher! I asked him for a ride and he was completely willing to help me out! It was awesome! Thank you Brandon! He took me down there. The place was sketchy and the line was long...He needed to get to class but he made sure that I had a ride back so he called Chase, another boy from our ward, to come and pick me up when I was done. SO AWESOME. I have never even spoken with Chase before and yet he was totally willing to pick me up. And not only that, but he was extremely sweet and talkative to me on the way back to BYU.
As I waited in the line at the SSN Office, I noticed a big contrast between the lines at BYU and this office. Many people were complaining over and over and over again. They were blatenly rude to the workers and each other and those waiting in line. The room screamed IMPATIENT. But I sat there for the whole 2 hours in complete contentness. I was nice to everyone around me and completely patient. By having this attitude I was able to find light in the situation. I made a few people smile, a woman was thankful to me for letting her borrow my pen, I tried my best to be kind and content with the situation despite the state I was in.
Anyways, what I am really trying to say is that I am thankful that we have the agency to control our attitude despite the uncontrollable situation. Heavenly Father blessed us with this gift of agency when he implenmented the fall of Adam in the plan of salvation. There is this really great book that I read last year called Man's Search For Meaning by holocost survivor Viktor Frankl
Between 1942 and 1945, Viktor Frankl spent time in four different Nazi concentration camps. The experience was every bit as miserable as you’d imagine and then some. His family died, he suffered horribly, and he spent years watching everyone around him suffering and dying. Out of this, Frankl searched for meaning. Throughout his experience he suffers and sees so many around him suffer, yet he learns that even throughout this terrible trial, he was able to be happy by changing his attitude. Here are some great quotes from the book.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
“The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.”
“But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.”
I testify that we can control our attitude and see things for the better through the gospel.
After all of that I went back to the dorm and took my antibiotics and stuff. It seems to be helping because I can breath out of my nose finally. We had dinner at the Cannon which was great because we sat with kids from our ward and it was all good. Then we had FHE and got to introduce ourselves to the new people and we just chilled. Next week for FHE we are going to Skype Nathan and play Mafia! YAY! I love my FHE Family.
Group #1! Spencer, Nathan, Noah, Adam, Sam, Jacob, Me, Collette, Michelle.
Not pictured: Laura, Megan, and Megan (aka people who never show up)
No matter how dysfunctional of a family we are...
Okay I am going to pass out if I do not go to sleep soon, NIGHT
Love
Kenna
First day of school. I have a sinus infection so it has been really hard to sleep lately. I woke up aroun5 and sat in bed listening to my ipod till 7:30. I then got up and ready for school I had no voice today because my throat was so congested. I sounded like a man all day lol.
First class was stats which was okay. i can tell it is going to be struggle but I found Jared and his gf in that class so it should be okay. Plus I know a lot of math geeks at this school that will help me. :)
Antropology was good too. Amanda is in my class. There are some real weirdos in that class though, not gonna lie. But it was nice. Crandall is funny and British so he is nice to listen too. Also the class sounds interesting and there are no tests! YAY. Just writing DOUBLE YAY!
Like I said before, today was really sporatic. After I got done with my classes I headed over to the employment office to turn in my work forms so that I could be officially hired at the MTC. I initially thought that I would go turn in my papers super fast and then go to my doctors appointment and then go home and sleep till dinner....
As Chuck Testa would say...
When I got into the employment office it was P-A-C-K-E-D! The line was incredibly long. At first I was like "Dang it--this really sucks." But as I stood in line people around me who were also waiting in line started to make use of their time and get to know the people they were standing in line with. I talked to this Colombian girl and we talked about how my dad served his mission there and how cool the country is. I talked to this huge 7 foot tall guy on the volleyball team and he gave me really good insight on Food Science. I also got to catch up with some people I knew previously like Kiley, JC, and Sam. It was an extremely long wait, but I felt somehow--happy. And content. Everyone around us was making friends with complete strangers and it was a good feeling. All of the impatience and selfishness I felt before just erased from my mind briefly.
I had to leave before I got to actually turn in my papers because I wanted to make it to my doctor's appointment on time. Again, I was stressed about my schedule not going acording to plan. I speed walked to the Student Health Center. Once there I had to do some more waiting. I sat in the waiting room for about 30 minutes. Instead of impatiently staring at the wall during that time, I found a copy of the newest Ensign from general conference and a copy of the Book of Mormon. I picked up both and began to read. The words of the prophets were just what I needed to cure my impatience at the moment. Time passed by so quickly and I was completely absorbed in the spirit. Once again feeling content.
Afterwards I went back to the employment center and stood in line yet again. Unfirtunatley when I got to the front I was faced with another problem...I couldnt turn in my papers because I needed a social security card. GEE DANG IT. Feeling again, defeated...I said a quick prayer. I just wanted to get my papers in. And now I had to walk a mile from my dorm in the 10 degree weather just to wait in more lines? and not just any line....government building lines which are the absolute WORST. I walked out of the building when suddenly I saw my home teacher! I asked him for a ride and he was completely willing to help me out! It was awesome! Thank you Brandon! He took me down there. The place was sketchy and the line was long...He needed to get to class but he made sure that I had a ride back so he called Chase, another boy from our ward, to come and pick me up when I was done. SO AWESOME. I have never even spoken with Chase before and yet he was totally willing to pick me up. And not only that, but he was extremely sweet and talkative to me on the way back to BYU.
As I waited in the line at the SSN Office, I noticed a big contrast between the lines at BYU and this office. Many people were complaining over and over and over again. They were blatenly rude to the workers and each other and those waiting in line. The room screamed IMPATIENT. But I sat there for the whole 2 hours in complete contentness. I was nice to everyone around me and completely patient. By having this attitude I was able to find light in the situation. I made a few people smile, a woman was thankful to me for letting her borrow my pen, I tried my best to be kind and content with the situation despite the state I was in.
Anyways, what I am really trying to say is that I am thankful that we have the agency to control our attitude despite the uncontrollable situation. Heavenly Father blessed us with this gift of agency when he implenmented the fall of Adam in the plan of salvation. There is this really great book that I read last year called Man's Search For Meaning by holocost survivor Viktor Frankl
Between 1942 and 1945, Viktor Frankl spent time in four different Nazi concentration camps. The experience was every bit as miserable as you’d imagine and then some. His family died, he suffered horribly, and he spent years watching everyone around him suffering and dying. Out of this, Frankl searched for meaning. Throughout his experience he suffers and sees so many around him suffer, yet he learns that even throughout this terrible trial, he was able to be happy by changing his attitude. Here are some great quotes from the book.
“Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
“The one thing you can’t take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one’s freedoms is to choose one’s attitude in any given circumstance.”
“But there was no need to be ashamed of tears, for tears bore witness that a man had the greatest of courage, the courage to suffer.”
I testify that we can control our attitude and see things for the better through the gospel.
After all of that I went back to the dorm and took my antibiotics and stuff. It seems to be helping because I can breath out of my nose finally. We had dinner at the Cannon which was great because we sat with kids from our ward and it was all good. Then we had FHE and got to introduce ourselves to the new people and we just chilled. Next week for FHE we are going to Skype Nathan and play Mafia! YAY! I love my FHE Family.
Group #1! Spencer, Nathan, Noah, Adam, Sam, Jacob, Me, Collette, Michelle.
Not pictured: Laura, Megan, and Megan (aka people who never show up)
No matter how dysfunctional of a family we are...
Okay I am going to pass out if I do not go to sleep soon, NIGHT
Love
Kenna
Sunday, January 6, 2013
It's Good To Be Back
I love BYU. Most everyone is back at this point. It's like one big family reunion here. Like you run into someone that is familiar or that you are friends with and just give them a big hug and are all lit up and excited. Yesterday was great. I hung out with Kiley for a bit. I bought a ton of useful stuff as well like a sponge and some soap and stuff to make smoothies. YUMM. Then I had dinner with Lorenzo which was very pleasant. Afterwards I went back to the dorms and Collette came back! YAY! So happy, I really missed her. Church today was just splendid. I loved seeing everyone and being all reunited. I hope that those who are new feel welcome. There is a new girl from England and that's pretty neat! Oh and it was super funny. They called Joe as the new Ward wrap up coordinator and everyone/Lily gasped with excitement. Only at a single adult BYU freshman ward...haha.
OMG and Collette got me the best Christmas present ever. Nina got this too and I was super jealous but now I have it and I am a giddy child:
Well school starts tomorrow and I am excited. However, I am pretty nervous about work though, just because it is so new. But I am sure that I will be able to figure it out. Wish me luck! More tomorrow!
Love Kenna
OMG and Collette got me the best Christmas present ever. Nina got this too and I was super jealous but now I have it and I am a giddy child:
Well school starts tomorrow and I am excited. However, I am pretty nervous about work though, just because it is so new. But I am sure that I will be able to figure it out. Wish me luck! More tomorrow!
Love Kenna
<3 <3 <3
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Lucky Day
Hey yall
I am back in Provo! Aka the land of freezing cold ice freeze... It is so cold here
Well I had a crazy experience yesterday. Well first off, I have airplane anxiety. I mean it's not so bad that I cannot go on planes but it still gets in the way of things and rattles my nerves. Yesterday I got on the plane around 11am. The flight was pretty smooth, not a lot of turbulence. Around 2pm (Provo time) we descended down to the ground to land at the SLC airport. We were very close to the ground when all of a sudden the plane jerked up. My heart started to beat really fast. I had no idea what was going on. I looked outside of the window and saw that we were ascending again. A flight attendant's voice came on the intercom and said "Please remain seated." The plane circled around the mountains a few times. 30 minutes later we finally made our way back down to the ground and landed in safety.
Another voice came on over the intercom but this time is was the voice of the pilot. "Sorry about that sudden jerk folks. We were about to make a landing but then I saw that there was another plane that just landed on the runway so I had to move out of the way. Safety first." Had he not seen that plane on the runway at the last second we would have crash landed into another plane.
I can't believe that! And here's where is gets great. Apearantly my dad had a really bad feeling abou my flight last night and this morning. So the morning of my flight he got on his knees and said an extra prayer that I would be safe. THANK YOU DAD. His extra blessings saved me. I also felt impressed to say a quick prayer that the pilot would be guided by Heavenly Father. So there is a big YAY and THANK YOU for the power of prayer.
"Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the great privileges and blessings of our lives. I have learned from countless personal experiences that great is the power of prayer. No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place." --James E. Faust.
Well today should be good. Lots of people are coming back today. My roomie Collette gets back at night, as does Alyssa! But Kiley should be home soon. I am probably going to hang out with her until they get back. I need to get groceries too. FUN FUN FUN. Till next time.
Love,
Kenna
I am back in Provo! Aka the land of freezing cold ice freeze... It is so cold here
Well I had a crazy experience yesterday. Well first off, I have airplane anxiety. I mean it's not so bad that I cannot go on planes but it still gets in the way of things and rattles my nerves. Yesterday I got on the plane around 11am. The flight was pretty smooth, not a lot of turbulence. Around 2pm (Provo time) we descended down to the ground to land at the SLC airport. We were very close to the ground when all of a sudden the plane jerked up. My heart started to beat really fast. I had no idea what was going on. I looked outside of the window and saw that we were ascending again. A flight attendant's voice came on the intercom and said "Please remain seated." The plane circled around the mountains a few times. 30 minutes later we finally made our way back down to the ground and landed in safety.
Another voice came on over the intercom but this time is was the voice of the pilot. "Sorry about that sudden jerk folks. We were about to make a landing but then I saw that there was another plane that just landed on the runway so I had to move out of the way. Safety first." Had he not seen that plane on the runway at the last second we would have crash landed into another plane.
I can't believe that! And here's where is gets great. Apearantly my dad had a really bad feeling abou my flight last night and this morning. So the morning of my flight he got on his knees and said an extra prayer that I would be safe. THANK YOU DAD. His extra blessings saved me. I also felt impressed to say a quick prayer that the pilot would be guided by Heavenly Father. So there is a big YAY and THANK YOU for the power of prayer.
"Access to our Creator through our Savior is surely one of the great privileges and blessings of our lives. I have learned from countless personal experiences that great is the power of prayer. No earthly authority can separate us from direct access to our Creator. There can never be a mechanical or electronic failure when we pray. There is no limit on the number of times or how long we can pray each day. There is no quota of how many needs we wish to pray for in each prayer. We do not need to go through secretaries or make an appointment to reach the throne of grace. He is reachable at any time and any place." --James E. Faust.
Well today should be good. Lots of people are coming back today. My roomie Collette gets back at night, as does Alyssa! But Kiley should be home soon. I am probably going to hang out with her until they get back. I need to get groceries too. FUN FUN FUN. Till next time.
Love,
Kenna
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Facebook Thinks Little of Me
Hello all!
T-Minus 2 days until I make my triumphant return to Provo. Wanna see something horrific?
T-Minus 2 days until I make my triumphant return to Provo. Wanna see something horrific?
Holy mother
I am pretty sure that you can freeze your lungs from breating in cold air like this. How the heck am I supposed to live through this temperature? DANG.
Well anyways, today was actually a pretty eventuful day! I woke up and made a banana smoothie. REALLY GOOD. It woke me up and gave me a lot of energy. It contained:
Well anyways, today was actually a pretty eventuful day! I woke up and made a banana smoothie. REALLY GOOD. It woke me up and gave me a lot of energy. It contained:
1 Banana
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 rolled oats
Honey
Cinnamon Sugar
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter
YUMMY. And then i went on a run with my dad. Today was a cold, yet beautiful sunny day in Seattle. We ran from the downtown Walgreens to the Lid Park and then across the bridge. We ran above the water of Lake Washington. I was thinking the whole time, DANG i wish I had a camera right now because this place is B-E-A-UTIFUL! It really was, you could see the mountains and water and the beautiful big houses and everything. Good run, but it started out rocky. I had a lower cramp at the beginning and almost gave up. But then I said a little prayer and it was gone. YAY. Then I came home and went to Costco with my mom. It was awesome. Yayaya. Like always. Free food samples fer dayz. Yum. Then I went home and Google+ed my friends from college! This is us.
we are good looking.
Yeah so that was fun. I just got off talking to them and my mom is making me pulled pork, pineapple, and veggies. Yay. also I think I am getting a cold. Boo. I have also been watching Parks and Rec like no other. Gag Reel included. So funny. Oh funny people. Also my friend got called to serve in Nery York. Coooool :) I am probs gonna just chill for the rest of the day. Take it easy cuz I think I am sick.
Also, Facebook thinks little of me. For the entire break I have started to notice how weird the ads I get are. And you know, the ads are linked to what you are interested in and search for. I am pretty sure the things I search for online or who I am as a person does not reflect any of the following ads.
According to Facebook Ads I am a single old woman craving to search through pictures of old men and date them online. My hair is thinning and I desperatley need to fix that. I am also going blind. I will never be able to rap like Lil Wayne. And that I love the Legend of Zelda video games enough to buy an actual triforce necklace.
...well actually that last part might be true...
...well actually that last part might be true...
Love Kenna
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Deep Nightly NighttimeThoughts w/ Kenna
I know I've been posting a lot in the past today and yesterday, but there is one thing I would like to get off my chest tonight. First a story:
About three years ago I made two wonder friends, let's call them Jane and Wendy. We are all really tight and did many crazy and sporadic things together. Over time near the end of 2011 Wendy suspected that Jane was lying about multiple things and was "going crazy" because she let a boyfriend (who wasn't the best influence) get in the way of the important things in her life. A lot of nasty things went down between us three. I could ramble on and on about this like I have to trusting friends and family in the past--but I am done with that. Long story short, Wendy and I lost a lot of trust in Jane and stopped hanging out with her. There was a lot more tension between Jane and Wendy than me and Jane, but nonetheless, the tension did dampen the friendship between Jane and I. Jane claimed that Wendy was a "toxic friend" and lost all touch with her. She kept in touch with me with the occasional FB comment on my statuses or photos, but not anything more than that. I kept in touch with Wendy.
A year has passed by and I haven't spoken directly to Jane in a year. Every time I talk to Wendy she will talk to me about her regrets and disappointment in Jane. I always listen to her and respect her feelings. Today Wendy came over to my house to visit. In the middle of talking to Wendy I got a call from an unknown phone number. I answered and it was Jane. She wanted to talk to me and catch up. I told her I would call her back because it caught me so off guard to be honest. It threw Wendy off too. After Wendy left I told my mom that Jane called and my mom told me that she actually ran into Jane's mom and sister last week at the mall. Jane's mom explained to my mom that Jane has fallen into a deep depression and is not doing very well at all.
As I was getting ready for bed tonight I began to reflect on the whole situation between Jane, Wendy, and I. I suddenly felt an impression from the spirit: I love Wendy and I love Jane. God loves all of His children, there is good in everyone. I suddenly felt extremely stupid for ever being mad at Jane. She is HUMAN, she makes mistakes just like me and just like anyone else on the entire planet. I suddenly felt the urge to be like Jesus and my Heavenly Father and forget all of the things that Jane did "wrong" and just show her love. After I brushed my teeth and hopped into bed I sent her a text saying: Hey Jane. Sorry I couldn't talk earlier today, I've had a busy day. But I will call you tomorrow! I miss you and I love you."
I came to the realization today that staying mad at someone is stupid. It is okay to be mad at someones actions for little spurts of time I suppose. But there comes a time when we all just need to take a deep breath, count to 5, forgive, and love. President Monson once said:
“The spirit must be freed from tethers so strong and feelings never put to rest, so that the lift of life may give buoyancy to the soul. In many families, there are hurt feelings and a reluctance to forgive. It doesn’t really matter what the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to injure. Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals. George Herbert, an early 17th-century poet, wrote these lines: ‘He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven, for everyone has need of forgiveness.’”
To anyone who has actually taken the time to read this, I thank you and hope that you will be inspired to love and forgive those who have offended you in any way. And to those who you find annoying or difficult. No offense...but shut your face and count to 5. You don't know them as well as you think you do. Quit judging and forgive and love.
Love Kenna
Fav quote of the day:
About three years ago I made two wonder friends, let's call them Jane and Wendy. We are all really tight and did many crazy and sporadic things together. Over time near the end of 2011 Wendy suspected that Jane was lying about multiple things and was "going crazy" because she let a boyfriend (who wasn't the best influence) get in the way of the important things in her life. A lot of nasty things went down between us three. I could ramble on and on about this like I have to trusting friends and family in the past--but I am done with that. Long story short, Wendy and I lost a lot of trust in Jane and stopped hanging out with her. There was a lot more tension between Jane and Wendy than me and Jane, but nonetheless, the tension did dampen the friendship between Jane and I. Jane claimed that Wendy was a "toxic friend" and lost all touch with her. She kept in touch with me with the occasional FB comment on my statuses or photos, but not anything more than that. I kept in touch with Wendy.
A year has passed by and I haven't spoken directly to Jane in a year. Every time I talk to Wendy she will talk to me about her regrets and disappointment in Jane. I always listen to her and respect her feelings. Today Wendy came over to my house to visit. In the middle of talking to Wendy I got a call from an unknown phone number. I answered and it was Jane. She wanted to talk to me and catch up. I told her I would call her back because it caught me so off guard to be honest. It threw Wendy off too. After Wendy left I told my mom that Jane called and my mom told me that she actually ran into Jane's mom and sister last week at the mall. Jane's mom explained to my mom that Jane has fallen into a deep depression and is not doing very well at all.
As I was getting ready for bed tonight I began to reflect on the whole situation between Jane, Wendy, and I. I suddenly felt an impression from the spirit: I love Wendy and I love Jane. God loves all of His children, there is good in everyone. I suddenly felt extremely stupid for ever being mad at Jane. She is HUMAN, she makes mistakes just like me and just like anyone else on the entire planet. I suddenly felt the urge to be like Jesus and my Heavenly Father and forget all of the things that Jane did "wrong" and just show her love. After I brushed my teeth and hopped into bed I sent her a text saying: Hey Jane. Sorry I couldn't talk earlier today, I've had a busy day. But I will call you tomorrow! I miss you and I love you."
I came to the realization today that staying mad at someone is stupid. It is okay to be mad at someones actions for little spurts of time I suppose. But there comes a time when we all just need to take a deep breath, count to 5, forgive, and love. President Monson once said:
“The spirit must be freed from tethers so strong and feelings never put to rest, so that the lift of life may give buoyancy to the soul. In many families, there are hurt feelings and a reluctance to forgive. It doesn’t really matter what the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to injure. Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals. George Herbert, an early 17th-century poet, wrote these lines: ‘He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven, for everyone has need of forgiveness.’”
Jesus commanded us to love one another as he loves us. It's about time I really take that to heart. I make a new New Years Resolution to love everyone as much as possible. If I have something bad to say about another, I should shut my face and write down 3 things I love about them. If God can love all of the people of the world, we should too. I finish with a quote from Joseph B Wirthlin:
"Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity. You can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, and possess all knowledge; even if you have the faith to move mountains, without charity it won't profit you at all....
"Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive.
"When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and service" (Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31).
"Without charity—or the pure love of Christ—whatever else we accomplish matters little. With it, all else becomes vibrant and alive.
"When we inspire and teach others to fill their hearts with love, obedience flows from the inside out in voluntary acts of self-sacrifice and service" (Ensign, Nov 2007, 28–31).
To anyone who has actually taken the time to read this, I thank you and hope that you will be inspired to love and forgive those who have offended you in any way. And to those who you find annoying or difficult. No offense...but shut your face and count to 5. You don't know them as well as you think you do. Quit judging and forgive and love.
Love Kenna
Fav quote of the day:
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)