a marked pathway

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us." 

—President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

No way to better say it! As soon as I heard those first words about the gospel not being an obligation, but being a pathway marked by our Father in Heaven, I felt that wonderful and fulfilling spirit of the Holy Ghost. Those words are more than truth, they just are. 

This past week has been a bit of a blur, I cannot really recall everything that I did. I have been focused on being a happy person lately and I am! I decided to put my car up for sale on Thursday and the first and only person to call about it has purchased it, unbelievable. And for the price that I am more than happy to sell it for. Now for all the loan and mumbo jumbo junk, what a headache. I will be excited to see what kind of vehicle I end up with, but for now, I am carless. I will be hitching rides left and right! kidding. When I said goodbye to my car today, it felt unreal. Can I honestly have feelings toward a car? loving feelings? 

Last glimpse of the first vehicle I purchased and had my name on that I just signed away. Moving on, so after I was done saying farewell to my dear car, my mother and I took my precious baby Lily on a walk around the neighborhood. I enjoy walks and I enjoy nature. About 10 minutes ago, I got the sudden urge that I want to plant a tree. There is just one problem, where? I will have to do some future planning on that one. I did come across a sunflower though, and as the sun was going down the light was hitting it at just the right angle. 

Just a reminder, that life is beautiful. Life is what you make it. You can choose happiness, you have decisions to make. Listening to the testimonies that were spoken on Sunday during sacrament always helps to strengthen mine. Certain ones just reach and touch my heart on a different level. God is good. 

College? or my dog?

okay okay, this blog was a little bit emotion packed and I said some things that I shouldn't have, so I felt as if I needed to change what this blog said, instead this while be a blog dedicated to the love of my life LILY. The only one who is ALWAYS there for me no matter what :) I love her more than life!

this bedroom isn't my room, its HER room.

i'm on a high, on a high

and theres nothing more to it....

noooo you silly gooses, not a marijuana high. A life and spiritual high! Every time I get a little bit down for a day, I am reminded by the great Lord in the form of blessings. I am constantly strengthened with reasons and support with the decisions I have made this year to give my life and follow him. To be guided through the the scriptures and learning to be guided by the living prophet. I am so excited to be given the chance to sit in the presence of him and the apostles. To hear the words that they are speaking to this world. General Conference Fall 2011! During institute this week we were told to think of a question to take with us as we listen or are present in general conference. I have been thinking about it and I finally have come up with mine, I am excited to receive an answer and honestly think that I will. 

READ ME! Learn about General Conference and what it brings :)

I have been so blessed with job opportunities, guidance and acceptance to schools among many other things that I am and will be forever grateful. I found out last week that I was accepted to LDSBC and today I found out that I was accepted to Brigham Young University - Idaho! I can not even explain how excited I am that I have the choices between these two schools. Although, I am still anxiously awaiting the letter from BYU provo! Pray for me! I know you do not always gets what you really want, but I will trust in God to give me the right places to choose between. 

I can only wish these blessings and knowledge of the truth of the gospel for every person I know and people that I don't even know! I am extremely grateful for my health. Today at work we saw a patient who was bedridden and on over 20 medications, along with another patient who was schizophrenic. I want to be humbled down to a better person and I accept the hardships that will come with it. I pray for those who do not have the spirit with them and I pray for those who are of bad cheer. I am thankful to hear of two healthy births from two people I know of within this last week. I pray for people who think that they can just take other peoples hard earned possessions. My brothers car was stolen out of our driveway last night. I am thankful that I was raised in a home that taught me right from wrong. 

and I leave you with all these things in my mind... :)

dear heart

I have had nothing significantly interesting happen to me as of late, causing me to wander and write my thoughts aimlessly on this blog. So I leave you with this...

tales from the sauna...

Yesterday evening I made a conscious decision to take a seat in the sauna at LA Fitness. Yes, I have been in there before maybe once or twice within the last 5 years haha, but I thought to myself, a nice good sweat would feel great. So after my late night workout, I enter that steamy dark wooden smelling room. There is one lady already in there and I take a seat a couple feet away. From the spot that I am sitting in, I have a view of part of the girls bathroom and the hall leading to the pool. The door of the sauna is very reflective and sort of similar to a one way mirror.

So as I am sitting here, drenched in sweat stinging my eyes, I see a girl walk straight up to the door. You would almost think that she was about to enter, but nope. She was probably early 20s, very tight fitted pants and jacket, hair and make up all done up. In my head I thought, wow, way to cake it on, it is all about to melt off in here! To my surprise, or actually I shouldn't have been surprised at all, the girl took a good look at herself in the sauna door, aka mirror. A good loooooong look. Checking out her butt, readjusting her breasts, taking another look at her butt. This lasted a good couple minutes. I understand checking yourself out, I am guilty of making sure I am somewhat presentable to the world, but for that long? And specifically those areas? This girl was not about working out, this girl was about distracting the you know who's. Oh and I weighed a solid 125.6 this morning.

When I go to the gym, I refuse to wear shorts. I do not like to constantly worry about my butt hanging out, or views of things that shouldn't be viewed while exercising. Another thing, I absolutely despise hair being in my face while running, so it gets pushed back with an elastic headband or bobby pins. Also, I do not like to wear tight tops to the gym. I am not a fun of my stomach showing, since while your running it tends to ride up, or of the outline of my stomach bouncing up and down noticeably. You will almost always see me in a big t-shirt. You know, all those old ones you get from teams you were on and volunteer places. And more than half of those time, they are wrinkly. ITS THE GYM. You get sweaty and gross anyway.

Besides the girl who was a fan of her backside, I also overheard a couple girls talking about how, "trashed" they got the night before. I can't be a hypocrite because I have made lots of mistakes when it comes to drinking. But now that I know, how can that be healthy or attractive in any way? And even flaunting the fact that you got wasted off your butt, throwing up drunk. It's cute, real cute.

Annnnd moving on to something a little bit more uplifting, God our Heavenly Father and our savior Jesus Christ! Hello, talk about amazing and wonderful and uplifting! Met with the missionaries today, as I normally do on thursdays. They share some lessons, I share some things I have learned and it goes back and forth. I really enjoy my time spent with them. At institute on tuesday night, someone shared a saying that they had heard from a member of our ward. It was something to the tune of... Yes, repentance is great and we should always repent, but we should first and foremost be obedient. That way there is nothing for us to repent of. Talk about inspirational! Follow Jesus Christ and your paths and decisions will always be straight. You will feel the spirit and be able to make wise decisions and lead you back to him. He has blessed my life more than I can even imagine, and I have been lucky enough to realize those blessings especially this year since I have taken him into my life.

About 30 minutes ago, I found out that I was accepted into LDSBC. From what I have heard, it is not that hard to get into haha, but I am still happy. It is just one place that I know I will have the opportunity to attend. I am so grateful that that school has allowed me to join, now I am just hoping and praying for BYU Provo! They are high hopes, which I do not expect to be accepted into, but I still will be diligently praying.

Farewell and goodnight!
More than blessed... Brittney

And since this blog had no pictures, not very exciting, I know. Just my pitiful thoughts sprawled into words. Here is a picture my friend sent me, he is in Hawaii trying to make me jealous I suppose. God's beautiful gift to us!

you, my friend, are getting fat

Well, of course, I am talking about myself! How else am I going to get the will power to start eating better and drop a couple lbs? I need to continually remind myself that I am on the path to official chub! No no, I know I am not quite there yet, but the process has begun. First 5 pounds, then 10... this needs to be brought to a halt now!

So 5 lbs, in 2 weeks, that is the goal. It can totally be possible, so here we go! Light bulb. An idea just popped into my head to help my process. I am going to post my weight on here every time I write a blog. Since I have been avoiding the scale for the past week or so, I will ring in with the weight tomorrow. (First thing in the morning is when I weigh the least.... lol).

Didn't God say that our bodies are our temples?!

5 lbs is just 1 Lily!

September 11th

Today, is September 11th.
It is a day I spent at church. A day of birthdays. A day of rest. A day of remembrance.

10 years ago today, I was 13 years old. It was a school day, and I remember waking up to my mother fixated on the television screen. Watching on the news, planes crash into the world trade center towers, all I thought was, "oh, this is bad." Yet, it seemed so far away from me, the other side of the US.

Once at school, my teachers had the news on all day. We watched the reports and updates of what had happened. Back then, while I was in 8th grade, I didn't really realize the importance. I now know. I now know that I was alive and witnessed on tv something that will forever be remembered in our nations history. That countless lives were lost. There are pictures of people jumping from 100's of stories high. I can't imagine the pain they were in to make the decision to take that leap. Knowing that their choice was of instant death. Maybe a better decision compared to a slow death. The loss goes deeper, as families were broken, children lost parents.

I am so lucky. I can't even imagine the loss. I am grateful for my family and friends and the safety we have had.

As I watch now, documentaries of live footage, people witnessing and pointing up at the towers, as they started to fall, give me chills throughout my body. I wish that my family were closer, that we could have spent today, together. In relief society today, there was a lesson on temple work and family history. I wish that my family could spend sundays at church and in unity. I think that everybody would be more happy and for sure more blessed. Today in my house, it was feelings of separation. Nobody was with anybody and that kind of makes me sad. I love my family, but when I have my own, we will have sunday dinner, we will all spend time together. We will become closer and be an active part in each others lives.