Grace

I am a firm believer in grace. I don't think we talk about grace enough in the Church. It has filled me, lifted me, and most importantly, it has changed me.

What exactly is grace? It is "the divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ." It is by and through his grace that we are able to repent and utilize the Atonement. I'm not going to get into a faith vs. works discussion. Let me just state that I believe that "faith without works is dead," and I am not trying to "earn heaven, but learn heaven." What I want to talk about is how Christ's "grace is sufficient for all men" and all situations. We should open our hearts and lives so that his grace can enter.

I don't think that the Atonement of Jesus Christ only forgives sins. Why would we try to limit the Savior?! It says that his grace is sufficient. His help or strength is enough! It's more than enough. It not only can redeem us from the fall, but Christ overcame the world -- he can help you do the same! He not only can, but he wants to. God gives you righteous desires -- He has also provided a means of assistance. Are you struggling in school? Grace is there. Trying to be healthier? Grace is there. Want to conquer negative self-talk? The answer lies with grace. Don't EVER think that Christ can't or doesn't want to help you. He can, and he will. Always. I testify of this truth.

Note to the World: On Body Image

Hey girl. I hope you're doing well. Life may be pretty dang good right now. It may not be, but it will get better soon. I just wanted to send you a note to remind of you something important.

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Maybe not in the way that other girls are. Maybe you aren't blonde with blue eyes. Maybe you aren't a size 4. Maybe you don't wear chevron with every outfit, or you don't own chunky jewelry. I know how some of you hate to wear lots of make-up, and other girls put on full foundation everyday. Maybe you are all of those things. Either way, I want you to know something.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE LIKE ANYONE.

You are beautiful. Your eyes may be deep and dark or light and sparkling, but they all know how to see when someone is suffering and how to help. Your hands may be little, but they can play the piano, hold a child's hand, write killer essays, paint a picture, and reach out to dear friends and family. Your skin tells a story of people who came before, and their struggles and successes are what made you. Wear their story proudly. Your body is healthy. You are able to hike, swim, dance, and do anything else you put your mind to. (Plus, you look adorable in that sweater. You know which one I'm talking about.) Or maybe you're struggling with an illness. If so, you shine through your struggles. You are who you are. I want you to know:

IT IS OKAY.

It is perfectly okay to be who you are. You should celebrate and utilize your strengths. Rejoice in your triumphs. Be aware of your weaknesses only so you can improve. Do not live in them. They do not define you. You are person with the pencil. You define yourself. Sometimes you'll make mistakes or not live up to who you want to be. Know this:

SOMEONE ELSE IS HOLDING THE ERASER.

You know exactly Who that Someone is. If you are unsatisfied with something about yourself, look to Him. He can help you change it. He gave you your body. He made you the way you are. He expects you to take care of that gift. He does not want you to misuse that gift in anyway. He wants you to love it as He loves it. Another thing:

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE YOU ARE YOU.

As you develop your gifts and talents, that light inside of you will shine through your eyes. Treasure that. Other people do. They love your light, and they look forward to seeing it. I love you and your light. Don't ever think your light isn't enough. A spark is all it takes to break through the darkness. One day, maybe today, someone will realize that they can't live apart from your light. Don't do anything to dim your light. It's yours and you should wear it proudly, because:

YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL.

Credit to B. Simmons

Playing with Fire

There comes a moment in your life when you discover that there is a Katy Perry song that describes your dating experience. It is a sad, sad moment. There is also a moment when you are amazed at the resonance a P!nk song has with you. I don't know if you've ever had this experience before. I must confess that I have had this happen to me. I love the song "Try" by P!nk. The lyrics are as follows (The verses followed by the chorus at the end):

 

"Ever wonder about what he's doing?
How it all turned to lies.
Sometimes I think that it's better

To never ask why.

Funny how the heart can be deceiving,
More than just a couple times.
Why do we fall in love so easy
Even when it's not right?

Ever worried that it might be ruined
And does it make you wanna cry?
When you're out there doing what you're doing
Are you just getting by?
Tell me are you just getting by?

 

Where there is desire
There is gonna be a flame,
Where there is a flame
Someone's bound to get burned,
But just because it burns
Doesn't mean you're gonna die,
You've gotta get up and try"

 

 

So, why do I love this song so much? I'm not quite sure. It makes me want to dance in a way I haven't danced in a while. That is only part of it. I think that it is because of where I am right now. My high school experience has been amazing. I've loved it. Still, it has been a rollercoaster. I can think of three difference situations to apply to each of the three verses. I'm here, though. The chorus speaks a fundamental truth - wherever the stakes are high, there are high risks. High risks yield high rewards. Putting yourself out there is the only way you'll get what you want. You may fall, or get burned, sometimes, but it is so worth the risk. Even when you fail, you get the reward of learning from your mistakes! Isn't it amazing how that works? We got ourselves a pretty sweet deal.

 

I guess my point is that life is always good, even when it's hard. We have so much to be grateful for: our families, freedoms, faith, and friends. We can be grateful for our challenges, trials, failures, and successes. I think of "Meet the Robinsons." "That was a great failure!" Keep smiling - you are so loved. Don't ever forget that.

 

Happy Thanksgiving. I'm grateful for you.

 

S 

Good Company

A thought for the moment:

“My idea of good company...is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.'
'You are mistaken,' said he gently, 'that is not good company, that is the best.”
― Jane Austen, Persuasion

One Year?!

It was a September afternoon in New York City, in an Midtown apartment. Tired and without much to get done, a girl opened her Internet to Google. She clicked on the "More" button, and saw the "Blogger." Curious, she clicked on it and continued through the steps to start a blog. Unsure of what she would write, she thought of a generic title that would allow her the flexibility to do whatever she wanted. A quote came to mind: "Whate'er thou art, act well thy part." Act Well Thy Part was born. It was September 19th, 2011. One year ago today.

I cannot express how grateful I am to all of you who have read anything I've written. Whether you've been reading since "Concrete Jungle Where Dream Are Made..." or started with "Year of Joy in Action," or just popped in for the "Great Dating Dilemma" series, you've been a huge part of my life. You've been with me through a move, an crazy school year, my first break up, and a complete attitude adjustment. I've written almost 50 posts about love languages, gendercide, Broadway musicals, overpopulation, dating, my summers, Jane Austen, Merlin, integrity, beauty secrets, friendship, communication, the Sisterhood, NYC, TV show concepts, goals, fears, and dreams.

You've stuck with me through the ups and the downs, through the crazy and the boring. You've read some of my best writing and some of my worst (Sorry!). Thank you for your thoughts and comments, either on here, on Facebook, or in person. It always surprises me when someone mentions my blog - people actually read it? I see that 1,700 people have checked out AWTP on my stats page, but it has never sunk in. I don't know if it ever will.

Again, thanks, dear ones, for everything you've done for me. I hope that something I've written has resonated with you, and that you've found something of value in it. Thanks for encouraging me to continue writing - I owe it all to you. I love you.

Peace from the East,
S

A Prayer from a Romantic.

As she lay there in bed, she wondered... What was it like to be in love? To fall in love? Was it a rush, like diving from the top of a tall building? Was it a warmth, like the kind that makes you want to close your eyes and drink it in? Was it an awakening, when suddenly the world is bright and the answers are clear? Maybe, she thought, I'll know one day. Maybe I'll be done waiting. Maybe I'll be done with the dangerous tightrope walk of finding love. In love. Falling in love. Maybe that's it. Maybe it's being brave enough to fling yourself from the tightrope. To fall. To fall in love. To sink into something real, something so sweet and pure that you want to drown in it - forever. Probably not perfect, but perfect enough. She began to drift into sleep. Maybe it's a shock. A moment of knowledge or feeling that overtakes every part of your body and soul. Soul. Two souls so in tune that they become one. One life, one purpose. "He's out there," she whispered to no one. Under the same sky. Cliche, maybe. But the vastness of the stars made her feel close to him. As dreams engulfed her, she murmured a sweet prayer for him, whoever he is.

Father, hear her prayer and the prayers of many others. Watch over future husbands everywhere so they may prepare themselves for the tender wives that are waiting for them.

A beautiful song titled Overjoyed by Matchbox Twenty puts her prayer into music in a way I could never. Enjoy.

It's in the Journey...

I'm learning something right now. I'm at a preparatory stage in my life. I am preparing for the ACT/SAT, senior year, college, life on my own, my last year in mutual/HST, everything. I am hitting the books. I've been doing some kind of school work pretty much every weekday, and most Saturdays, this summer. It has been a lot of work and a lot of effort. Yet, I'm learning that just because you've got something big ahead of you doesn't mean you should ignore the little things happening now. It is so interesting how some people focus on the result so much that they belittle it by removing the meaning of the process. What I mean is, someone once told me once to "Find joy in the journey!" She is so right. The Olympians in London right now are so full of joy and excitement. They have all worked incredibly hard for YEARS before this month to prepare and train for their events. Do you think that it would mean as much for Michael and Misty if they hadn't loved the meets or tournaments that they had in high school or college? Being at the Olympics is awesome, but it is the journey that they will talk to their kids about, not as much the 4 minutes in the pool or 10 minutes on the court.

So, I've decided something. As a lover of road trips, I'm going to look at this upcoming school year as one. I've got to work SO hard, but I've also got to enjoy everything around me more. I'm going to go to the movies, go to dances, do silly things with my friends, and spend time with my family. I am going to be the most involved, most enthusiastic person that I can be. I am going to look at graduation not as a destination, but as a mile marker along this high speed highway. I'm grateful for everything I've been given, and I plan to make the most of my life for the glory of my Father in Heaven.

I'm starting by posting a picture that pretty much embodies this concept for me. A paint fight in a friend's backyard may be silly, but it's something that matters to me. It was so fun, and it is a memory of my senior year that I'll be talking about for ages.

I don't want to be that kid who doesn't do anything fun senior year, and I also don't want to be the kid who goes around shouting "YOLO!" I believe that there is a balance between work and play. It's called "happiness." Throw in a handful of worship, and you've got "joy." Senior year for me is going to be called "The Year of Joy." Why?

...Because I'm finding joy in the journey.

Musical Moment: "For Good"

Today's Musical Moment is from an extremely popular musical - "For Good" from Wicked.

I chose this cliche song for MM today because I am reaching the end of an adventure. I have less than a week left here in Oxford. It has been a journey, a challenge, a blast, and a blessing. I have learned so much about myself and my abilities here. Actually, my testimony has grown so much. I haven't been able to go to sacrament meeting for several weeks, and I am the only LDS kid here, but I have felt such a profound and obvious presence of the Spirit. I have felt the love of my Father in Heaven. I've been strengthened in my testimony of prophets and apostles as proclaimers of the word of God. It's amazing.

....Buuut, I'm ready to go back to church.

Not only has just the general experience caused me to think of this song, but individual people here at ASA have entered my life, and I hope they remain in it for years to come. I have had so many fun times, deep conversations, insightful experiences, and giggles. I love so many people here, and I will miss them as we return to our various homelands all over the world.

Thank you.

"For Good"

"You're Way Too Concerned."

I feel the need to explain something quickly:

If I worry about you, it's because I love you. I'm not trying to be condescending, rude, controlling, or your mom. I just love you. I get concerned because I see your potential. I see the light in your eyes, and I can get frustrated when you don't live up to it. I understand it may seem like a lot of pressure, and you're not accountable to me. It's personal life choices between you and Heavenly Father (sometimes your parents too). If I am your friend, though, that means that I have a responsibility to you to help you be the best person you can be. That is my job. You have the responsibility to do so for me as well. I expect constructive criticism. Let me emphasize: CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. I have gotten quite a lot of gaff the last few days from people that was not constructive at all - just mean. Please be careful about what you say. You never know how it affects people. Maybe one day I'll let you know some of the ways I have been impacted by what people say, but it's a little too raw right now. I'm definitely not perfect, and I make mistakes, but let me be the best friend I can be.

Lots of love,
S

I-N-T-R-O-D-U-C-T-I-O-N

I have so much to write about, and no idea where to start. Here's an intro to the next post:

"Silence makes cowards of the best men." - Abraham Lincoln

Ooo... Curious? You should be. Catch me next time with: "Why Silence Isn't Always the Key to Happiness."

A Thought for Today

"A man has not only a right to express his thoughts, but it is his duty to do so." - Percy Shelley

Next time someone asks your opinion of something - give it! It's your responsibility to stand up for what you believe.  Remember to take time to THINK. Raise your voice. Make a difference.

COMMUNICATION

You know how totally EASY it can be to just TELL someone how you feel? This, I believe, is one of the main problems with high school: people never just talk about their thoughts and feelings. I guess it's hard to be that self aware all the time, the outcome is uncertain, and the way things are may change. Still, isn't it better to clear the air and deal with the consequences than be frustrated longer than necessary? You never know how well they may take it. They may totally understand, and if they can't, then maybe it's better that you know things won't work out. If someone is worth the effort, they'll try their best to understand, as you should do too. It's easier to talk to someone than to let it simmer inside you.