This is something i Needed today.

Things I've Learned today....

1. Whenever you think life is great a trial is on it's way. Don't we all know that's how it goes? And yet we are always still so shocked when the trial comes! It seems as though just as soon as everything is fine and dandy BAM! Something hits and you feel like you have to start all over again.

2. This week i have heard this story a few times. It has become my favorite story in all of the scriptures, from Matthew 14. At the end of this chapter Peter and the other disciples are in a boat. They see a figure coming across the water and they become afraid. Christ tells them "be off good cheer; it is I;be not afraid". After hearing this Peter says that if it is in fact the savior to let him walk on the water to Christ. Peter gets out of the boat and walks on the water. However, he starts to get distracted by the storm that is raging and takes his eyes of the Savior. It is at this point where he begins to sink into the water and has to as for the Saviors help. The Savior, of course, comes and helps him but asks him why he ever doubted. I always think how could he doubt the Lord when he is walking on water?!! But as i think about it more i realize that we all do the same thing. We have all seen amazing miracles, we've all felt that God is there and yet we still let our fear of storms keep our eyes from looking towards God. How stupid are we to let the storms around us get in the way of our faith?

3. and that brings me to my next discovery of the week. Fear always competes with Faith. My New Testament teacher today was talking and made me realize that we are the same person. She said that she worries a lot and is afraid of a lot of things and that she always feels awful because people say that you cannot be afraid and have faith at the same time. Even in the scriptures it says perfect love hath no fear. How is it that i can show people the love of Christ if i am so scared? This is EXACTLY how i have been feeling lately. But then she said something that made me feel so much better. She said that it is not that we are not allowed to be scared at all, but that "we have to let our faith be STRONGER than our fear". Well duh, we all knew that right? but still it made me feel so much better to hear that today.

4. Service will make you feel better, even if it's just for a little while. So i wasn't having the best day today if you didn't get that. For FHE we were going to go to this school for mentally handicapped people to just play some games and chat with them. I wasn't going to go because i have a late class, but last minute i decided i needed to go so i asked my roommate to come get me. It was actually really fun and I really enjoyed myself. Plus there was ice cream after and that always helps a rough day right? i concluded that the best way to make your day a little better is this: Service, Ice Cream, and a roommate group hug. I felt a little better after that. :)

5. Dr. Suess knows a lot of things.

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You’re on your own.

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

I just really liked this poem today...because even when we feel like we're on our own and when there isn't really anyone physically there who understands...we have a brain, we have feet, we have knowledge, so we need to act and do something!

6. Once again my mission prep teacher knows everything. And let me tell you he has made going on a mission SO appealing. Two things he said today really hit me.

"Just before or after every

significant spiritual experience

you will always have an equal

and opposite temptation by the devil."

And

"The greater the threat you are

to Satan the greater the opposition

you will face from Satan."

Hello...these quotes are a little depressing i must say, but at the same time make me realize that i really have some great things to do in life if Satan is working so hard to make me not do them. But here's the thing...we all suffer in this life and we all knew we would suffer, yet we still decided to come here. So obviously it'll all be worth it? Yeah i hope so too...

7. Faith is probably one of the most important things to have. At least for me...Let's face it. I worry a lot and i have a fear of the unknown. If i don't know where things are going...i go into panic mode. I believe that my lack of trust in people has somehow brought me to sometimes have a lack of faith. So goal number 1 of life at the moment...don't WORRY so much! Let life happen and control what you can control, but don't worry about the things you can't control (way easier said than done) but i'm trying...

8. and most importantly. God is always there. He knows you. He loves you. And he always has a plan.

This blog was completely for my own benefit. Me trying to make myself feel better. But hey, maybe it'll work!

Life is Beautiful, even when it's not. And there's always some silver lining somewhere. :)

Today.

Today

Today is here. I will start with a smile, and resolve to be agreeable. I will not criticize. I refuse to waste my valuable time.

Today has one thing in which I know I am equal with others—Time. All of us draw the same salary in seconds, minutes, hours—24 Golden Hours each day.

Today I will not waste my time, because the minutes I wasted yesterday are as lost as a vanished thought.

Today I refuse to spend time worrying about what might happen. I am going to spend my time making things happen.

Today I am determined to study to improve myself, for tomorrow I may be wanted, and I must not be found lacking.

Today I am determined to do things I should do. I firmly resolve to stop doing the things I should not do.

Today I begin by doing and not wasting my time. In one week I will be miles beyond the person I am today.

Today I will not imagine what I would do if things were different. They are not different. I will make a success with what material I have.

Today I will stop saying, "If I had time," for I never will "find time" for anything—if I want time I must take it.

Today I will act toward other people as though this might be my last day on earth. I will not wait for tomorrow. Tomorrow never comes.

Elder John Longden (Assistant to the 12 Apostles) Conference Report, Apr. 1966, 39; or Improvement Era, June 1966, 512

Best 24 Hours Ever.

So yesterday me and Cassie decided it was time for another "best 24 hours ever" day. We started at about 2 yesterday.

1st- We went to costco! (you have no idea how much i needed to go shopping!) We basically ate 500 samples. It was great. I bought some delicious things and i'm excited to have at least a little food for now. I'll have to go to a grocery store to buy other things next week some time.

2nd- Cassie's brothers were playing at a place called Sammy's that night so we went to go sing back ups for them. We practiced for a bit :)

3rd- Went to cassies and had chips/salsa/guacamole and chicken burgers for lunch. SO good! Ate while watching an Oprah episode about people with multiple personalities! this lady had 20 different personalities...very interesting.

4th- Went to Sammy's and sang. It was pretty fun/funny because we had only practiced with them for like 15 minutes.

5th- Went to a soft serve ice cream place. It was probably the best soft serve ice cream i've ever had. It actually tasted like ice cream...not yogurt. mmmmmm (I got vanilla with graham crackers, nilla wafers, strawberries, and dark chocolate pieces.)

6th- Went and saw a movie called "Life as we know it". I would highly recommend it. It was SO CUTE!! your typical chick flick, but i enjoyed it.

That was our day yesterday, and today to finish it off we are driving up to Rexburg because her brothers are playing at the Sammy's there tonight. Which is exciting because I get to see Savannah!! YAY! i haven't seen her since summer. She came up for conference but we missed eachother....sad. Anyway we are staying there tonight so that should be fun. :)

Life is beautiful.

Cheese...from scratch

MMM Cheese. I love it. And today i learned how to make it from scratch in my family meal planning class. Cooking is nice therapy, and if you are looking for a good meal this is definitely it! :) and then you can say you've made cheese from scratch! it's pretty fun actually. I'd do it again. My mom wanted the recipe so I'm just going to put it up here.

This is to make the cheese, then make it into a filling for noodles you also make from scratch!

then there's a spaghetti sauce you can make from scratch as well as some bread sticks :)

Ricotta Cheese:

4C whole milk

1 C heavy cream

3/4 C buttermilk

½ t. sea salt

Cheesecloth

Directions:

1. Place all ingredients in a 2 qt saucepan. Slowly bring to a boil over medium to medium high heat, until curds begin to form (190-200 degree F)

2. Remove from heat and pour into a cheesecloth-lined mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Let drain for 15 minutes gather cloth around the ricotta and gently squeeze out a little more liquid. Don't squeeze it dry or you will end up with dry ricotta. Leave some moisture in there.

3. Place fresh ricotta in an airtight container and refrigerate= for up to 2 days. (don't have to refrigerate)

4. Yield: about 1/1/2-­‐2C or 300 grams.

Manicotti:

2 eggs

¾ C flour

½ C water

½ T butter or margarine

Directions:

Beat eggs and water with an electric beater. Add flour slowly. (Batter will be thin). In a small skillet, place butter, add 2

T of batter making a thin round pancake. Turn cake once. Pancakes should be small.

Filling:

1 lb ricotta cheese (just use as much as you just made :) )

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

½ C Parmesan or Romano Cheese

¼ t parsley flakes.

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together. More cheese can be added according to taste. The mixture will be

the Filling for the manicotti noodles.

Sauce for Manicotti

□ 1 sm. onion, chopped

□ 2 cloves garlic, minced

□ 1 1/2 c. water

□ 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

□ 1 tsp. sugar

□ 1/2 tsp. basil

□ 1/4 tsp. salt

□ 1/8 tsp. oregano

□ Pinch of pepper

1 C Grated Mozzarella Cheese for topping

Combine onion and garlic in a medium sauce-pan-saute 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in all remaining

ingredients. Cover pan; simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Simmer, uncovered for 20 minutes.

Serves 4, makes 2 cups.

Combining:

Add 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce to the bottom of an oblong baking dish. take one pancake and put 1-2 T of filling in it, and roll it up tightly, and fit it in the bottom of the baking dish. Spoon sauce on top of the rolls, and sprinkle with grated mozzarella cheese. Bake 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Garlic Bread Sticks:

1 Cup warm water

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup oil

3 cups bread flour

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients to make dough using your favorite method-bread machine, mixer, hands

2. Roll out into a 10/12 inch rectangle.

3. Cut into strips about 3/4 inch wide.

4 Give each strip a twist and place on a greased cookie sheet.

5. Let rise for at least 20 minutes or more if you have time.

6. Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes.

7.Brush with butter and sprinkle with garlic salt and Parmesan cheese.

I worry too much.

Do you ever find yourself alone for a little too long? And you start thinking about life and where it is or isn't going? I find myself in that situation a little too often.

I'm in this place right now where life seems to be hitting me in the face.

I'm potentially really close to being done with school in a major that really will only help me to become a mother (and that probably won't occur for quite some time) meaning i'll need a job when i finish school most likely, and my major won't help with that.

I'm wanting to go on a mission...but I can't seem to find a sure answer of whether or not I really should go. I am never good at decision making. Well that's not true. I know i really want to go, and really should go, but i still keep feeling doubts. My mission prep professor said today that "God does not answer questions with feelings of doubt or fear". Meaning these doubts and fears i am feeling are coming from one person: Satan. I know that a mission would be so great and that I could help so many people, but still i can't get these doubts out of my head!

I just hate these in betweens. I have so many decisions to make that will ultimately affect my entire life. It's scary when you think about it, and really exciting at the same time. I'm so excited for the future, i'm just ready for some of those decisions to be made...and Satan stop trying to stop me from making good ones by giving me all these doubts! Thanks.

Haha. That is all about that subject.

Anyway, last weekend was great.

Friends were here.

Conference was great.

I got to go to one session.

Tucanos on saturday.

New book about sister missionaries.

Cassie's birthday party.

Hulu.

More Conference.

More friends.

Life is beautiful.

Don't let your worries consume you...Everything will be okay. Patience!!

General Conference weekend.

Well general conference starts in about 20 minutes and i am SO excited. This weekend has been great so far and i'm so excited to watch. This blog is going to be a little short/lame but i just thought you should know how excited i am. :)