This has been posted before, but oh well. :)
music: Colors -- "Give a Little"
mood:
happy
I'm quite sure I've posted this before, but I'm also quite sure that it's been at least a year since the last time I did and since there are no archives past two months ago ... it's ok to post again.
Because none of you know. lol Except that now you do because I just told you. Meh.
Oh well!
And just as a cheap plug for any Linfield kids who read this --
Tonight, 10:00pm.
Campbell 1st Floor Lounge
Pink Panther movie marathon.
Food provided by yours truly.
Be there or ... well, I won't be able to do anything about it b/c I'm on duty, but I'll send someone after you.
lol
People who go to college are incredible. We go to classes. We sleep very little. We become attached to close friends. We all have separate lives, families, backgrounds, and pasts. We live totally different from how we used to live. We are frustrated and sometimes want to give up, but we never stop trying. We try to sort out our minds, which are filled with studies, worries, problems, memories, emotions. We hurt -- a lot. We keep going though, because above all else, we never stop learning, growing, changing, and most important, dreaming. Dreams keep us going and they always will. All we can do is be thankful that we have something to hold onto, like dreams and each other.
Sam on 03.10.06 @ 12:40 PM MST [link]
I love the way the sky looks after it snows.
music: Coldplay -- "Don't Panic"
mood:
content
So it snowed today.
That was pretty cool. 
I love the way the sky looks right now.
If it wasn't 1:30am, I'd drive to someplace where I could just lay out and look at the sky.
There's something brilliant about snow ... about how white and fresh and clean everything looks when there's snow coming down. Because each of those snowflakes is perfectly perfect in its own little way ... and there's something miraculous about the perfection and purity that comes from everything being covered in snow. All of life's little imperfections are covered and if only for a moment ... everything is perfect again.
I stepped in a huge mud puddle when I got home ... it was hilarious! lol I laughed ... even though there was no one else with me ... I laughed.
It was a good feeling.
I was quite grumpy earlier today ... it's been a weird few days, really. Between the ups and downs with the weather and not knowing where I stand with someone and just being so dang tired all the time and just having a lot going on ... it's been interesting. But I gave myself some time to cool down a bit and talked to him about what was bothering me -- and now things are okay.
No more grumpy gills, Sam. Only happy from here on out. 
So I realize it's been quite a while since I updated -- it's been a while since I've written anywhere, to be fair. I haven't even written in my REAL journal!! Which is a bummer because I really need to fill it up so I can start my new one. lol Because yes, I bought yet another new journal this last weekend.
It was only $3.50; couldn't turn it down!
Speaking of the weekend -- it was great. Really really great! Taylor's family is amazing and well, so is he. lol Soooo yeah. It was a very relaxing, very uplifting and destressing weekend! I spent the bulk of Sunday afternoon with a 4 yr old ... and let me tell you, Kooks is the coolest 4 year old on the planet.
Maybe tomorrow I will write more in depth about the weekend.
Right now though ... it's interesting. I've been thinking a lot lately about how much my priorities have changed since last spring. For instance, last spring I was working basically 24/7 right up until I left for England ... 2 jobs, school, res life, LDSSA, church, friends, etc. Just always doing something. This year ... I'm still always doing something ... but notice on that list church and friends are at the end? This year ... they're not. This year, church stuff and LDSSA stuff are my two biggest concerns. I'm not even worried about the fact that I don't have a second job and frankly, I'm enjoying it because it allows me time to go to institute twice a week, to go to FHE, to have my Sunday School lesson prepared by Thursday, to really spend time with my Father in Heaven. To just be me. And it allows me to spend more time with my friends and more time with my residents, building up and fortifying those relationships that will sustain me throughout my life. I've been exercising 4-5 times a week, which has been amazing! Actually doing the reading for my classes, which I love. I dropped philosophy officially, which drops me to 12 credits ... but I'm so much more balanced right now! I can feel it ... I just feel ... good.
For lack of better words at this hour, I just feel good. Things are as they should be and all is well. It's amazing.
I didn't even realize how much my priorities have changed since going to England until tonight when I looked up at the sky and saw how beautiful it was. And it reminded me of that night walking down the downs with Dave after institute ... and how we just stood out there and spoke about how amazing the gospel is for over an hour ... not even realizing that it was freezing cold. It was a beautiful night -- a different kind of beautiful from tonight, but beautiful nonetheless!
Really though, what's important in this life? Certainly not money ... and I'm realizing that. While I was in England, I spent a lot of time worried about how I was going to manage financially ... and while it was hard, especially toward the end, I made it.
While I was in England, I also spent a lot of time rediscovering my Savior and the love He has for me -- I spent a lot of time with people of my faith ... people who really just understood me because they know and understand the very core me -- something I'd seriously been lacking at Linfield. And then I came back ... and found people who do the same. Who provide that same source of strength. I can't even begin to explain what a blessing it has been to have Taylor, Dylan #2 and Britt on campus! Just to know that they're there ... to hang out ... to bless me ... to strengthen me ... to cheer me on when no one else can. It's phenomenal! They're quickly becoming some of my closest friends and it's really amazing!
Going to church activities 4 times a week has been beyond wonderful for me this term! They center me ... they put things back in focus. My life realigns itself every time I'm surrounded by people who believe with their whole souls -- people who are on fire for the gospel ... for their Savior. Institute/FHE on Mondays, Institute on Wednesdays, church on Sundays ... not to mention the fact that I've been to the temple twice since I got home!
And now that I'm teaching gospel doctrine, I'm not only reading the scriptures every day ... but I'm really delving into them because I have to know enough to teach the lesson and to answer the questions of the people in my class. I feel like I'm getting to know the scriptures so much better and it's only been a short time!
Man this gospel is great.
Heavenly Father has blessed me tremendously ... I can't even explain it. It's just so ... wonderful. ::sigh::
I know ... complete change in attitude from when some of you spoke with me ... weird how that happens, huh? 
If you're going to walk on thin ice, you might as well dance.
Sam on 03.10.06 @ 01:45 AM MST [link]