If You're Going Through Hell, Keep On Going

My mantra for the past couple of weeks comes from a Rodney Atkins song. "If you're going through hell, keep on going." And let me tell ya, the past two weeks have felt like walking through Hell. I won't go into the details, but let's just say it's been rough. However, if there's several things I realized over the past two weeks, it's that family and faith can provide more strength than I give them credit for sometimes.

I have called to talk to my mom everyday for 14 days. Poor, woman. Poor, Dad! I would talk to her from anywhere between thirty minutes to two and half hours. I'm just thankful that my mom is able to fully understand and empathize what's been going on and knew exactly what would help me. Moms are amazing like that. And thank you to my Dad who let me steal her ear for so long. :)

And then there's my sister and brother-in-law. In all the empty spaces between school and talking with my parents, I would talk to them. Even if Catherine was getting into something she shouldn't, or Rachel was cooking dinner, or Bradley was driving somewhere, they would talk to me. For however long it took. They would just talk to me.

And last, but certainly not least, faith. Faith and the Gospel will take you very far. I learned to rely on prayer and faith when it was 2 am and I needed someone. Something. Anyone. I knew I could pray and rely on Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I knew I could rely on the scriptures and Conference talks. I knew I could turn to the Gospel, and just like my family, I would receive the help I need.

One night while trying to find the strength and help I needed at the time, I was reminded of Elder Holland's talk from this past General Conference. I am paraphrasing here, but he said something to the effect of, "If the miracle seems to not come fully or seemingly at all, drink the bitter cup and be strong; trusting in better days ahead." And so that night I drank the bitter cup, and held on. Trusting and having faith that there were better days ahead. I think that was Elder Holland's eloquent and more Gospel centered way of saying what Rodney Atkins was trying to say. And sometimes you'll get out "before the Devil even knows you're there."

In brighter news, I have decided to take an art class and yoga class. Hooray! I'm pretty excited about this. I think both will be good for me, and an opportunity to meet new people and experience new things. So here's to bettering myself and expanding myself past my comfort zone.

So here's to walking through Hell, making it to the other side with a smile and greater faith, and here's to self betterment; trusting in brighter, happier days ahead. :)

Femininity: The Possible Key

Did anyone ever see this movie? I've been thinking about this a lot lately due to a specific FHE we had a few months ago, and I have come to this conclusion: the wicked taketh the truth to be hard.

Let me explain...

A dating coach came and spoke to our stake about techniques and tips and tricks for dating. Several of which I disagreed with completely. I became very defensive and worked up over a lot of her points and left the night completely frustrated.

I have asked myself over and over again why exactly I became so upset. And after much deliberation, soul searching, and extensive conversations with the roommate, it was determined that I was the wicked and I took the truth to be hard. :)

I didn't want to hear that I was the one doing anything wrong. I didn't want to hear that I wasn't being "feminine" enough. It's the guys! Not the girls. Not me! Am I right?!

No, Liz. You are most definitely not right.

I think too many times in dating and relationships we are so willing to point the finger and blame the other person. It's his fault. It's her fault. It's their fault. And I think the reason I had such a hard time with this FHE is because it hit me half way through that some of it is MY fault.

The biggest realization that hit me: I need to be more feminine. Don't ask me exactly what I mean by that. I'm not even sure I know. But I feel that it could be one of many keys that will open one awesome, eternal door. We shall see.

PS- Don't judge me on this post. It took 2 months and a lot of thinking to publish. :)

Hello, 2014!

So this year I did not write a "Goodbye Year" post. Bummer for all of you who actually read this, I'm sure. ;) Instead, I decided to write a "Hello Year" post! Because holy crow, have things been happening this year!


What's up, 2014?! It's very good to see you!

For starters, I moved to San Antonio. I know, crazy! Well, if you know me and the thought process, decision process, and prayerful consideration process I put into this, then you know it really wasn't that crazy. But at the same time...CRAZY! I can honestly say without any doubt that I made the right decision and am heading towards something amazing. What amazingness exactly, I know not. But I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out.

It's awesome because a year ago my roommate Cathy and I were saying that we both had a feeling that something huge was on the horizon. That there was going to be some kind of big change coming our way, but we didn't know what it would be. So all year we've been looking and searching, and in typical girl fashion, over analyzed everything wondering, "Is this it? Could this be 'IT???'" You know, the ominous "IT". And every time, it was never IT. Then around Thanksgiving and into Christmas time, everything fell into place for me. I won't go into the rather boring details, feel free to call if you want them, but life in its not-so-subtle ways lead me to a job in San Antonio.

Never in my life would I have imagined not living in Utah or Georgia. That was always the plan. Get a degree and teach in one of those states. Now granted, the idea of a man by my side was somewhere in there too, but oh, well. Not the point. I just never thought I would be somewhere where my family wasn't. And at first that thought was very scary. Now, not so much. I've been here less than a week, and I've already made my own kind of little family. My dear friends from college, Rachel and Jared Anderson, have taken me under their wing and have been such a huge support. They helped me get out here, have helped me feel welcome, and have definitely helped me feel not so alone. Texas is a big state with a lot of people. It's definitely easy to get and feel lost in this place. Honestly, the Lord has provided where everything else has lacked. And I know He will continue to provide and strengthen when I fall short or feel weak.

I will admit this one thing. I miss people. I miss my friends. I miss my kids. I have thought about my friends and my students everyday since I left. I miss them. A lot.

Alrighty then, 2014. I have high hopes for you. Please do not disappoint me. I'm counting on you! Don't let me down!

Revelations, Being OK, and Anne with an "e"

One of my favorite literary characters, Anne Shirley, once said, "There's a book of revelations in everyone's life." This week has been a week of many revelations and ideas and thoughts of new beginnings. I hope I can convey what I want to say without getting too jumbled. I also spent a lot of time wondering over whether or not to publish this post for personal reasons. Hence the 3 am postage time. :)

Revelation #1: Be healthy! 

This has been a priority for awhile, but now it's in motion. My inspiration? My dear friend, Nora. Lauren Conrad's adorable clothes collection at Kohl's (If you know me, you know I don't pay attention to that kind of thing, so this is a big deal). And finally, me, myself, and my future. I am receiving so much love and support from friends and family, and for that I am so grateful. Please feel free to provide me with a plethora of any fit and healthy knowledge you might have! 

Revelation #2: Be creative!

I am rediscovering my love for several things: the piano, art, and writing. One goal is to play the piano for at least an hour and half a day (while it's summer). Another goal is to learn how to paint, and lastly, write. Not many people know this about me, but I love to write. Stories, songs, poems, whatever. I love writing. It doesn't show in the blog, but it's true. I've been working on a children's book, and I really want to finish it this summer if I can. 

Revelation #3: It's OK.

I am OK. Where I'm at in life, what I'm doing with my life...it's OK. In fact, it's more than OK. It's great! And I need to be OK with great. :)

Revelation #4: God and Jesus Christ live and love me.

Now granted, I've always known this. Sometimes I forget or doubt clouds my mind, but I DO know this. And this week I was reminded of it several times. They live and love me, and I am forever grateful for this knowledge.

Revelation #5: Be Better.

It's OK to be good, but we can always be better. Now, I'm not talking about perfection. However, I've realized there are some things in life I need to be better at. A better friend, daughter, sister, teacher, roommate, example, etc. The list goes on! I know not all of this will happen over night. Many things on my list both mentioned and non-mentioned will take time. Maybe even a whole life time! But I should not be complacent with good. I need to be striving to be the best I can be.

Revelation #6: Get To Know Yourself and Love Yourself

If anything and to sum up everything, I need to get to know myself and learn to love myself. It is OK that it's just me, myself, and I right now. Enjoy it, embrace it, love it. Learn from it. I need to use this time to discover and rediscover passions, talents, strengths, weaknesses, faults, failings, successes, and learn to love myself for them. I need to find the good things about me and enhance them. I need to find the not-so-good things about me and change them. Again, I'm not talking about perfection. I'm talking about self-rediscovery and self-betterment.

Now as a part of that, something I have briefly eluded to in this post and in an earlier post from Nov. 2012 (Thoughts of an Eternal Optimist), being OK with just me. I will always have that hope, I will always have that faith, and I will always have that optimism. But I'm going to take some license to focus on me. Not in a selfish way, but to take some things on the forefront of my mind and reorganize. It's OK to be on my own right now. I want to be my own best friend for a little while and not constantly worry about finding and looking for one outside of myself. Anne Shirley also said, "I went looking for my dreams outside of myself and discovered it's not what the world holds for you; it's what you bring to it." So I've decided to focus on getting to know myself better, trying everyday to be better than I was the day before, loving me for exactly who I am (changes or no changes), and bring that to the world. I believe that if I truly and wholeheartedly act on each of these thoughts and ponderings, when all is said and done, I will be a happier person for it. A better person. A more complete person. So here's to finding joy in the journey. Possibly a very LONG journey, but a joyful one, nonetheless. 

Let the Summer Begin

And It's summer time! Woo hoo! I don't think anyone knows how truly excited I am about this. This school year has been crazy hard and even though I will miss a lot of my kids, I am very glad the school year is over. Math classes start next week, and that won't be exactly fun, but it'll be good. :)

The most exciting thing that has happened this summer is that my sister had her first baby! Yay! She is this beautiful baby girl, and I adore her! A picture will be provided below. 

I also want to try painting this summer. Crazy, I know! Not like, anything serious, but to try it out and have fun with it. I'll let you know how that goes. I also want to finish my quilt. Hopefully pictures of that to come soon, too!

I have just realized that I have got to be the most boring blogger! So for those of you that still read this, bless you, you saint! Lol. 

I have a feeling this will be a really good summer! Back in May when Cathy and I moved (again) we both said to each other that we had a feeling a change was coming, and it was going to be a good change. I think it's on its way! We'll see, and I'll keep you posted! 

Here's a picture of my beautiful niece!

Farewell, 2012

It's that time of year again. Time to say goodbye to the year. I'm not gonna lie, these posts are one of my favorite! I rather enjoy writing these. :)


Dear 2012,

You have been such a great year! I have had a lot of fun! You started out with a bang, literally, when I broke my foot. And I know what you're thinking. Breaking your foot was fun? OK, so it wasn't "fun" in the traditional sense, but it was funny and once I learned to have a positive attitude about it, it was great! I had so many awesome experiences because of it. I now have permanent nicknames like "Speed Racer"
and "Scoot and Boot" and "Giddy-up Grandma." It's awesome! Was it frustrating at times? Absolutely. But it was great!

I started taking math classes through USU. What a challenge that has been! A challenge, but also a blessing because it is allowing me to teach math this year at my school. Again, VERY challenging, but it has proven to be a blessing, and I love it!

In June I was able to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Temple and receive my endowments. What a wonderful experience! My parents came to Utah to visit (and for the occasion) and I was able to be surrounded by family and friends. What a better way to spend a day in the summer!

The next big thing came when I moved from one side of the valley to the other. At first I was not so sure about how that was going to turn out, but it has also been fantastic! I have met so many new people, made wonderful friends, and have been given amazing opportunities to do really cool things! For example, I sang in the General Relief Society Conference Choir. I got to meet Sister Burton, the new General Relief Society president (granted, she is my stake president's wife), and her presidency. Again, I met new people and had an awesome spiritual experience. I also have been given the opportunity to work as a temple worker in the Salt Lake City Temple. I am so excited to continue working there!

The friends I have made are wonderful. Right after the move I felt very alone and had a really hard time adjusting. But then I met some amazing people and we have formed quite the group of friends, and I don't feel so alone anymore. Thanks, guys. :)

2012, this year has defnitely been the year of patience. From beginning to end, I have had lesson after lesson, and experience after experience that have required me to be patient and hold on. From my broken foot to work to dating to church to everything! I have been asked to be patient and hang on. And I have! I feel like I have anyway, and I have learned so much. I thank you for that.

Again, 2012, you have been a blast! I thank you for the good times and the challenges and the lessons you have taught me. In the end, every challenge has been a blessing and every lesson worth while. I am sad to see you go. But now, on to 2013. Typically every Friday the 13th is a great day for me! Let's see if the year of '13 is just as good! I will miss you, 2012. Thanks! :)

Thoughts from an Eternal Optimist

It is my right to be an eternal optimist. Even though sometimes my continuous happy go-lucky attitude tends to aggravate people, I have to be optimistic. I have to have hope.

There have been so many times where I would have liked to say to myself, "Give up, Liz. Give in to disappointment. Forget your hope and walk away." However, if I did, every little ray of hopeful sunshine that makes me who I am would be gone. I've always been about hope. I've always been about optimism. I have always been motivated and determined. So what is it about life and love that makes man desire to abandon hope? On the other hand, what is it about life and love that makes me continuously hopeful?

I've been told by some that one of these days I'll wake up to reality and truly see how things are. If that's the case, I sure hope not. Let me be blissfully happy in my ignorance about pessimism, people! It is my hope that keeps me going. It is my hope and optimism that help me get through every day on my own. Don't take that away from me.

In the movie "A League of Their Own" Gina Davis' character is quitting the team (spoiler alert!), looks at Tom Hanks and says, "It just go too hard." In which Tom replies, "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. It's the hard that makes it great." Life is supposed to be somewhat difficult. Life is supposed to be a little bit frustrating. But after much tribulation cometh the blessings! Don't give up simply because 'it just got too hard.'

The other day I was grading some math tests and as I was grading I kept thinking, "Liz, what made you think you could ever possibly be an effective math teacher? What were you thinking when you decided to take several math classes to be math endorsed, while teaching math and English, while doing everything else in life?" I was losing my optimism. I started grading a student's test who has some serious struggles in math. I was prepping myself for disappoint when I realized he had only missed one question on the test. I graded that same paper three more times to double check myself. Sure enough, he had only missed one. I was so excited! He received the highest grade in the class. And then  it occurred to me: "This is why you teach math. This is why you decided to teach at all. So that you can make a difference. So quit whining and go do it." Optimism and hope restored.

However, sometimes with other things in life it's not that easy or simple. When things in life don't happen when we want or how we want, we tend to throw in the towel, call it quits, and walk away. I've tried. For the record, I epically fail at walking away and giving up. And I'll admit...sometimes it's really annoying, but sometimes it's 100% worth the lessons we learn and strength we gain. So many times I have tried dwelling in disappointment and bitter feelings. It doesn't last long. That's just not me. I'll say I'm calling it quits and two days later, if not two hours, I'm back in saddle ready to go. I have to be optimistic. I have to have hope. I have to be joyful. I think I'd go crazy if I wasn't.

I know I've said it before, but seeing other people makes me happy. I find so much joy in being a witness to the happiness of others. Knowing that they are able to partake and experience blessings that I so desperately want to have makes me happy because if they are seeking for those blessings just like me, then I know how much they've wanted it, and I'm happy they found it! Is that weird?

Anyway, those have been my thoughts for the past few months. It just took me a while to get it "honest to blog." And PS- if you can name that movie, you just became one of my favorite people. :) Just sayin'.

Funny Teacher/Student Thought for the Day:

Student 1: Miss A, you've got to be the swaggest teacher in this school!

Me: Swaggest, huh?

Student 2: Yeah, Miss A. You are totally boss.

Me: Whoa! Swag AND boss? Do you think I can handle that?

Student 1: Definitely. If not, I'll teach you.

Me: Alright. Rock on!

Now, I don't know the exact definitions they want to associate with those words, but it means I'm cool, right? ;)