Michael O.

I have a wonderful friend named Michael, who I met at EFY last summer, that I often talk to on the phone. I honestly always miss his calls (I think I miss 88% of the calls I receive, so I guess this is not a surprise), but he is patient and either calls me again or waits for me to call him back. This sometimes takes days, but he is a loyal friend and has decided that he wants to keep in touch, and I really appreciate that. He lives in Nebraska, and doesn't have texting or Facebook, so phone calls are our only source of communication. It's fun though, talking to someone who is so far away. It makes this huge world seem a little smaller, even if it's just for 20 minutes.

He and I became friends very randomly. We were waiting for a class to end so that we could go inside for the next class, and happened to be standing next to each other and started talking. Our conversation became a get-to-know-you session, and we basically were friends from then on. It was cool to have a friend outside of my company. I loved my company with all of my heart, and will never forget the bond we had (I truly believe we had all been friends before), but Michael was different. We sort of counted on each other when we needed to just breathe for a while, talk to someone new. I have to say, despite how much I love my Many Fishers friends, I don't really keep in touch with any of them. Just Michael. He is just a genuinely good person, and for whatever reason is interested in my strange life. I like people who care just because; I like to have people in my life that I know will always listen.

"Let the praises ring...

'cause he is everything."

Nothing I could say now explains my feelings more accurately. He is everything.

Two Words: Idiot Children

For the first time in my life, I had to babysit drunk people. Drunk people that included myfreakinbrother. Tomorrow, when he has a pounding headache and doesn't want anything to do with me, I'll kill him. I swear, I'm going to beat him up. And you know, I'm gonna beat up his friend for taking off his pants in front of me. What fun we will have.

Thanks a whole lot, love you too.

Forgiveness

With all of the miracles that have occured this year, it is so hard to imagine the time that my mom hated the fact that I was going to church and wanted to be baptized. So much has happened in this year. It is incredible.

I was just thinking about something that happened months ago. My mom really did not want me to be going to the Mormon church, and tried so many different things to keep me from going. One Sunday she sent me to Wellspring Episcopalian church and told me to "take a break from the Mormons," even just for one day. It's so funny (not funny...just ironic) that she was so persistent on sending me to Wellspring, because she herself said she would never set in that place. After Holy Apostles closed, a large number of those people went to Wellspring, and my mother had no desire in the world to see those people who tore her heart out. Understandable, I'd say, especially since I felt the same way about them. But still, this is where she chose to send me for the day.

It was so weird walking into that place. I was overwhelmed with this feeling that I didn't want to be there, and I was really nervous. I saw so many people...Steve Roth, the Stewarts, Bob Hirsch (who is technically my "god father"...how strange), Emily Moore, the Barth's, and all of these people that I had not seen in what felt like ages. I felt exposed; I had kept these feelings of resentment and overwhelming sadness for so long, and it was hard to face it head on like that. I wanted to tell them all that they still had it wrong, that running away would never fix their problems, that I finally found the truth.....I just wanted to cry. In that moment, as I was sitting next to Bob, in one of his crushing, yet friendly hugs, I realized that this part of my life is my past. I needed to accept that I had moved on; these people were part of my journey, but no longer. Somehow, I needed to let go of all of these people and all of the things that I blamed them for.

Interestingly enough (though not coincidentally, for our God is not a God of coincidences), the pastor's sermon was about forgiveness. I honestly don't remember much of what he said, I just remember feeling the spirit like I never had. Not because I was sitting in Christ's true church. Not because he was preaching true doctrine. I felt the spirit because I knew that forgiveness was exactly what I needed. I needed to forgive those people in order to move on with my life.
During that service, my life was changed. I had been thinking all morning that I was forced into this horribly awkward, sad situation, and I just wanted to leave and go to my church. My opinion changed though: I was brought to that service. That service was a vital piece in my journey. As I sat among the people who had hurt me more than anyone else has, I forgave them. I forgave them all. My heart was softened, and I realized that maybe they weren't to blame after all. The adversary has great power in his false churches and teachings; even greater power in the selfish nature of humans. Regardless, the greatest burden was lifted from my shoulders, the biterness was gone, and I was able to enjoy the rest of my time there talking with old friends.

My mom didn't realize how much she helped me by sending me to Wellspring that day. She didn't cure me from my "Mormon fever" - not at all. Actually, she added to it. When I left Wellspring, I actually drove right over to the Tufts building and went to the last half hour of Sunday school. The Orchard Ward is my home, and being away from it even for one Sunday made that so very clear to me. At that point in time, I already had a testimony of the restored gospel, but I think I was still a little uneasy at times. Experiences like this one at Wellspring are what consistently proved to me that I was right where I belonged.

I'm so thankful for the Orchard Ward. Those people are are my family, my greatest friends. I'm so thankful to know the truth, and I'm so thankful that I knew it 10 months ago, and believed it. The gospel is true. Jesus Christ is my Savior and King - he died to save my life. Not only are Mormons just naturally awesome, but they have the greatest truths a person could ever know. What's cooler than that? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

Missing in Action

I have really missed this. I love writing in here.

I'm eighteen. 18. Dix-huit. I can't believe at all that I'm already an ADULT. Ew. That's a weird thing to say. But cool at the same time. Since I'm an adult maybe I should say kool, with a K. Or actually maybe I shouldn't.

I only have 5 months of public high school left. Depending on the day, that either seems like forever or not nearly enough time. I'm so excited, but scared out of mind all at the same time. There are some things I'm sad about already, like the fact that "goodbyes" are inevitable...so many of them. But most of them will just be "see-you-laters." Some of them really will be goodbyes, which I'm okay with. I wish my fellow Warriors the very best in life, but I will be okay with moving on.

It's just weird. Strange. Foreign. I've never had to leave before. But, BYU is calling my name. I must go to it. (Does that make me sound like a loser?)

Daniel Jeffery BUTT

I love my brother more than anyone else in the world, but I can't handle his extreme moodiness sometimes. He can be so happy and friendly one minute, and grumpy and mean the next. It makes me so sad, especially when we have days off of school like this, and spend all day together. It would be so much easier if he would just .................AAAHHHo98uzhsiikaw3.jsa

But it's not just him. I know I'm a jerk sometimes too. And he truly thinks that JUST BECAUSE I'M MORMON I think I'm better than everyone else. So his view of my view of other people (does that make sense?) also puts a damper on things. He, like my dad, genuinely hates Mormons. My dad actually knows Mormons, and apparently had some bad experiences with some as a child. By no means is this an excuse for his generalization of Mormons as evil and Satanic, etc., but he actually has experienced knowing Mormons and being around them....my brother never has. His reason for hating Mormons is fueled by some unknown source; it's like he hates them just for fun. He makes it very clear at times just how much he hates them. Whenever he talks about them, he gets this look on his face like he just smelled his foot after running 7 miles without socks. It's pretty intense.

I just don't understand it. It breaks my heart....because whatever he thinks of Mormons as a whole is what he thinks of me. I don't know how to make him understand that I'm not just Mormon because I thought it would be cool; I want to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I AM a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And I will be until the day I die, and for the rest of all eternity. That's a big commitment, and not something that I take lightly. I do stand up for my church. I do stand up for what I believe in. And it does create tension and arguments within my home. I am somewhat of a stubborn person, and I don't like to just back down in an argument, because I hate to let people feel like they can walk all over me. But I'm also trying my hardest to learn to stop and argument before it starts. It's just a long, difficult proccess that often drains quite a bit of my energy.

I need to pray every single day to be a positive example to my family. I want to show them that family is the central part of my life, just as it is central to the teachings of the church. I would do anything to show my family just how much I love them. Heck, I would do anything for my family. They need to see that, and I need to be the one that shows them. I have 8 months to really show that, and to improve the way that I approach the situations I am faced with. I should remember to pray for guidance and help in those times. Remember, remember.

Man, life can be hard sometimes when you're not perfect. Thank goodness I know someone who is.

Joke of the Day

What's red and smells like blue paint?

.....Red paint.

Renewed

I got the typed version of my Patriarchal Blessing today. It is one of the greatest blessings (literally) that I have ever received. It has completely restored my faith in areas that I was lacking, and the darkness may finally be retreating. I'm ready to be free, to start where I want to start, and be who I need and want to be. Throughout my entire journey, these words have applied to me exactly:
"I am not who I was; I'm being remade. I am new, I am new."
What a beautiful, pure truth. I am new; I will start now, and continue along this journey of life with strength and courage. I will endure to the end. I will serve the Lord with all that I am, and listen to His words and the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. I will be worthy to receive guidance. I will love myself, others, and my Savior and king, Jesus Christ.

To be plain--

Sometimes, I just feel stuck. Stuck in this looming darkness, sadness, hopelessness... I would never wish this feeling on anyone.

To Do List: November 25, 2011

1. Pick up mom from work
2. Run 6 miles
3. Do Econ homework
4. Finish 2 more paragraphs of APUSH paper
5. Read :)

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(Noted later):
I did pick up my mother from work. I only ran 4.5 miles, but hey, I'm not complaining. I didn't do number 3 or 4 on my list...regretfully. I did number 5. Success? Eehhh, more or less.

POSSIBLE

HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Today was a perfect day. My mom and I cooked all day long. I made my first real pie, and it turned out great. Turkey, gravy, stuffing, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, rolls, apple pie, pecan pie...everything homemade, home-cooked. It was delicious. Dinner was fun and everyone was happy. Of course everyone ate too much, but it was well worth it. We all took naps afterward, and my mom, my brother and I watched Elf. Now it is 10:15 and my parents are asleep, so it's just me and my brother. I'm sitting in the recliner with my book and my 2nd favorite blanket, with Christmas music playing and Spongebob muted on the TV. Everything seems perfect right in this moment: I wish I could freeze time and just sit and admire the peace that I feel right now. It is possible for us to get along and have a wonderful day together. I love my family; of all my many blessings, they are what I am most thankful for. Next to my Savior and King, Jesus Christ. I am happy, truly happy. Happy Thanksgiving indeed. :)
Apple Pie!

IMPOSSIBLE

My father is the most difficult person in the world to please. I feel like there is literally NOTHING in the world that I can do to make him happy. It's really sad actually. For example, my ACT scores...they're pretty good. I worked hard to get the score I got. It's meaningless to him though, because I want to go to BYU. Now, if I was going to CU or TCU or wherever the heck else, my scores would be awesome. Or maybe the fact that I am a part time nanny. Yeah, I am a student, the lacrosse season (my LAST high school lacrosse season) is coming up, I'm in two AP classes, and I'm a nanny. It seems reasonable for me to work a couple times each week in order to make enough money to buy gas, and also put some in my savings account. But it's not enough for him. He works 9 hours everyday and provides for the whole family, when I work 9 hours a week and can't provide for even just myself. Yeah, you're right dad, I'm a failure, thanks for pointing that out.

I just don't understand. I don't know how long I can just take it. I'm going to lose it someday. I'll end up in a mental hospital where my ACT scores don't matter anyway. Nobody's perfect, and I'm not expecting him to be, but somehow he expects me to be. I can't be though. So this argument is just a circle that will never end......please, oh please let it end.

AAHHHHHHHHmawkoesj87qjwdkjanzpwei55?mnjs

That awkward moment when you cant watch a Rated-R movie because you're Mormon...

Humility

Today, I finally realized that my problem is that I don't have enough humility. In some ways I do, but so often I just tell myself that I can do everything on my own, and that I shouldn't have to ask for help. It's really sad actually, I get really upset during those times when I try to do everything by myself. Then I get more upset, because I don't succeed. It's this never-ending circle of sadness that I just let myself get caught up in. But I have been humbled (no pun intended...is that even a pun?) and I realize that I need to possess a greater spirit of humility. I am human, and as much as I want to be as perfect as my Savior is, I can't do that alone. As much as I need others, I need Him. I need to remember that He is really the only one who knows what I need. He never leaves me -- not even when I'm a jerk. If I can remember that, life will become a lot easier. Maybe I'll start writing notes to remind myself. (The cool thing is that I'm not kidding about that) (I used a lot of parenthesis in this post)

Sundays are the best. A fresh start, a chance to do the things I want to do in the way that I want to. I love my Savior, and I love His gospel.
"That's all I have to say about that."
:)

Coach's Award

Before I forget, I think it's vital that I document a recent event of my life. On Thursday, November 10, 2011, my cross country team had our banquet at the Easter building. I was honestly dreading it, because there are 200 people on the team (calling names takes a long time...we were there for 4 hours. FOUR HOURS.)
It ended up being really awesome though. The coaches called up every person and handed them their particpation awards and shook each kid's hand. When it got to the seniors though, the coaches stood at the podium and shared a little bit about each runner. It was so sweet. Stevens was actually really genuine and had a lot of nice things to say about each girl. When he got to me, he of course mentioned the Susan incident (when I told him that I actually went by Susan, not Michelle...and he believed me), how Emma and I were always cheerful, the fact that I didn't wear shoes, and some other things. It was really sweet, because he is honestly the best coach I've ever had and it's hard to feel noticed sometimes when he has to coach so many people. It meant a lot to know that he actually noticed though -- not just me, but every other runner as well.
The coaches also gave out their own awards. Each coach - Hatak, Krause, Bradley, Lombardi, Lutz, and Stevens (in that oder) presented one student with an award that they wanted to personally give to that one student, for different reasons. Emma and I were sort of freaking out because we had so much homework to do, and we really wanted to leave. She actually did end up leaving right before Stevens gave his award. I had just put my head in my hands and was thinking "How much longer could this possibly go?" when Stevens said "Can I get Michelle Scott up on the stage?" He then proceeded to tell everyone that he was giving me his coach's award. I have to tell you, that was a really great moment. It showed me that my hard work didn't go unnoticed during the season, even though I wasn't super fast. It showed me that he valued me as a member of his team.
It was such a simple thing, but it meant the world to me. Of the other awards I've gotten from my high school sports, this one means the most to me. It will help me remember my favorite coach, and all the reasons why I love running. It sounds so cheesey, but I'm being serious. What a great coach; what a great season. I guess I'm just really glad I didn't leave in the middle ;)

Secret #68

For the first time in a while, I like a boy. Whaaaaat?!

Mormon Humor

I saw a joke on a laffy taffy wrapper tonight, and felt like sharing it with the missionaries:
What time was it when the elephant sat on a chair?
Time to get a new chair.

So that's pretty funny, if you laugh it's more of a pity laugh, right? Well, their reply was the best. First:
What do you get when you put a bunch of spaghetti in the ocean?
A pasta sea (apostasy).

And second:
Why couldn't the missionaries come over for dinner?
Because Moroni buried the plates.

The nerdiness of these jokes is awesome. I laughed out loud, and really obnoxiously, when they sent those. True Mormons right there.

The Noble and Great Ones

My blog title. Why?:

"22 Now the Lord had shown unto me, Abraham, the intelligences that were organized before the world was; and among all these there were many of the noble and great ones;

 23 And God saw these souls that they were good, and he stood in the midst of them, and he said: These I will make my rulers; for he stood among those that were spirits, and he saw that they were good; and he said unto me: Abraham, thou art one of them; thou wast chosen before thou wast born." Abraham 3:22-23

Back in the day, Elder Allred always referenced this scripture, and whenever he said goodbye he would say "You are noble and great." I finally figured out which scripture it was that he was referencing, and it's this one. I love this scripture so much. I can't even imagine how many people I know that are considered noble and great. Most of them probably are, considering the fact that they are here in the first place. It just amazes me.

While I'm at it, I might as well share another scripture, since those are fun.

"I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." Ether 12:6

It is incredible how true that is. How can we ever receive a witness of our Savior until after a trial of our faith? We would learn nothing if life was easy. There would be no fight, no chance to endure, if we were able to see God, instead of believing for ourselves that He is. Just food for thought.

Homecoming: The Senior Version

Last night was one of the greatest nights I have had in so long. For our Young Women/Young Men activity, we hosted a "Senior Citizen Homecoming" at the church. We were put in groups, and each group was assigned a "date" that we were supposed to get to know a little better and hang out with at the dance. Brother Dick Hansen was my date, and let me tell you, he is an amazing man. He loves to talk about himself -- he's had so many incredible experiences, and he is just dying to tell everyone about them. For example, he owns a newspaper called Airport Journal, and through this ownership he has met countless famous people. The coolest story he told about this was that he was able to meet President Uchtdorf when he was put into the Aviation Hall of Fame. He liked to talk about that one. He has skied for 63 years and still does today. He has helped over 150 boys with their Eagle Scout Projects. He has hiked and camped all over Colorado and has taken groups of youth on 4-5 day journeys many, many times. He has been a member of the church for his whole life, and still attends today, though he goes alone because his wife has passed away. He is this sweet, old man that is just so full of life and wants to share his pride and happiness with anyone who will listen.
Since it was a dance, we danced. A lot. I never thought that this 80-something year old man would be able to dance, let alone for an hour and a half straight, but he did it. And he was good. I think we covered every decade, starting in the 1950s. It was so awesome to see him smiling and dancing and doing his best to get the moves right. He kept saying "This is the most fun I've had in years," and every time he said that it brought tears to my eyes -- happy tears, though.
So we danced, and we talked, and we ate a whole bunch of sweets, and we danced some more. It was one of those times when you're having so much fun that you don't even care what time it is, or what other things you could be doing instead (homework), or when you're supposed to be home. I wish I could accurately express how much fun I had. Just understand this: my feet hurt from dancing so much, my stomach hurt from laughing so much, and my face hurt from smiling so much.
I will never forget this new friend I have made. Being there last night made me realize how thankful I am for my family and friends. My ward family; my home away from home. Nothing could kill the spirit that was there, and that came home with me. The church is true. That's it.

I need to start doing this again.

Buttons

Kenzie Macfarlane introduced us all to the Button Game today. Basically, one person stands in the middle and goes around the circle and acts like they're going to drop a button (quarter, in our case) into each person's hands. She drops it very secretively into someone's hands, and then everyone has to guess who has it. So weird, but so funny and awesome. We had a great time.
Oh, and the best part is that everyone chants "Button, button, who's got the button?" We changed our accents a little bit, and tried talking like gansters and such. It was a jolly old time.

He is the One

I feel like I have been missing the spirit lately. I fall asleep while I pray sometimes, even though I'm on my knees. My scripture study every night is way less than it should be. I live for Sundays -- I always have, because Sundays are the best days. But I shouldn't rely on Sunday for my "dose" of the spirit and time to worship my Father in Heaven. I need to do this everyday, with my whole heart. Somehow, there needs to be time for me to do this. I need to make time. I'm struggling to be in the mindset of school because I always want to be doing something church-related: I don't want to leave seminary in the morning, I want to meet with missionaries and my mom everyday, I want to skip my homework and just read the Book of Mormon. I can't do those things just because I want to though. I need to keep the spirit alive in my life, even if I can't be at church or with my Mormon friends. It's my number one priority. Of course school work is up there, but if I try, I'm sure I can even feel the spirit while I'm doing homework. It'll be my next challenge.
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On that note, today at my cross country meet, I was walking to the bathroom, and from behind me I heard someone talking about not being able to drink coffee or tea and my first thought was "They are totally Mormon." So I asked if they were Mormon and they said yes, and we talked for a little while about it. It was awesome. Also at the meet, I told a couple of my freshmen friends how I officially converted over the summer. It feels so good to bear my testimony to people, especially non-members. That is one way I can invite the spirit, that's for sure. The spirit testifies so strong in situations like that. It's the easiest way to be a missionary, and it invites people to ask questions, and I love when people ask me questions about it. I would talk about Mormons all day if I could (that goes back to the whole priorities argument). I am a very blessed person to know the truthfulness of the restored gospel. It is the greatest blessing in my life, and I want to share it. With everyone.

Commitments: September 15, 2011

1. I will not get behind on my AP US History homework at all anymore this year. If anything, I will get ahead.
2. I will push through my pain at cross country tomorrow. The Liberty Bell is the fastest paced race of the whole season, and I need to get a PR there. I can reach my goal of sub-27, but only if I can be mentally tough enough to be physically tougher.

I CAN DO IT.

Moving On

I can pretty much be the dumbest person sometimes. But that's okay, because I'm moving on and starting anew.
Today, these are my priorities:
1. Drop off my essay at Mrs. Crosby's desk.
2. Look online and do all of the homework that has been assigned to me. ALL OF IT
3. Make dinner for Elder Beberger and Elder Lee
4. Have a blast while babysitting Kayla
5. Go on a run (since I'll be missing cross country today)
6. Study the scriptures for as close to an hour as I possibly can while still fulfilling priority #7
7. Go to bed at a reasonable hour

I am completely in control of how I manage my prorities. Now, I just need to exercise that control and actually manage my priorities.

Snails See the Benefits

Lately, I have been so caught up in trying to live my life the right way. What is the right way anyway? Anyone who tries to answer that seriously is silly. And I'm just as silly for thinking that there ever could be a right way. I will live my life in my way, because that is the only right way for me.
I can't let school control how I perform in life, and I can't let life control how I perform in school. School is a part of my life, and I need to learn to accept that right now. I think I'm stuck in a summer mindset, which is horrible considering the fact that it is now the fifth week of school. I need to grow up a little bit, and face this challenge instead of running away from it. I can do anything if I want to.
-------------------------------------------
I need to see the beauty in every inch; take in every moment while I still can, and be thankful for it all. For example: as we were leaving Young Women tonight, the moon was so bright and the sky was so clear and beautiful. Being surrounded by friends and the beautiful, towering trees in front of Sister Robinson's house, I just had to stop and take it all in for a moment. There are some things that are so beautiful, and so irreplaceable at the same time. I almost didn't go to Young Women tonight because of my AP US History essay (which I will be working on all night), and I would have missed the delicious bread and jam, and Sister Robinson's wonderful spiritual thought (D&C 59:18). I might get a little less sleep than usual, but there are things that I believe are worth it. Life is so beautiful, and I REFUSE TO MISS IT!
Our time here is so precious, and I want to value it as much as I possibly can. I know that God is watching over me, and that He has a plan. I just need to learn to accept His over my own.
Now it's time to go write that essay. :)

This Void

You know those times when you are just living, just sitting and feeling nothing? It's not a depressing thing, it just happens.

Rain

It's raining right now - mostly thundering and lightning(ing?). I absolutely love rain and thunder and crazy weather. I love seeing the flash and anticipating the crash. Which is why I have greatly considered studying meteorology in school. I get really excited when I think about how much fun that would be. It gives me something to look forward to; something to work for.
Thinking about college stirs up so many emotions. I can be excited beyond words one minute, then scared to the point of peeing my pants the next. Just a little while ago I started thinking about all the people who I will have to say goodbye to. My family - especially my brother. My neighbors Becky, June and Steven who have all taught me so much about life. The friends I've had since elementary school. My teachers and coaches. The families of my best friends. I hate saying goodbye. It makes me so sad. I haven't had to say a whole lot of goodbyes in my life; I guess that means I've been lucky. But no longer. I'll never get used to it, but I will have to do my best because goodbyes are a real thing. I find solace in the fact that most of my goodbyes are really just see-you-laters. That will make it a little bit easier.

"The only way we'll ever stand is on our knees with lifted hands."

I love my Savior. There is nothing that I could ever love more than I love Him. He changes lives; He saves lives. Think about all of the things that He did for us...I will never truly be able to understand exactly what he went through, or how he could possibly love us so much. It is incredible.
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I am so blessed to have Leah as my friend. It is the most amazing thing to be able to see how the gospel is changing her life. She has such great faith and the strongest testimony. I met with her at her house with the missionaries tonight. We talked about the reasons why we are baptized and how to know when we are ready to take that step (D&C 20:37), and of course the Word of Wisdom (D&C 89). She has such a strong desire to be baptized. What she said really hit home for me: that this would be a way for her to finally know that she has found the truth and for her to be completely cleansed from her sins. A new testimony is so pure and honest; it hasn't been revised to sound better, it hasn't been thought out, it's simply a statement of what is true. Testimonies are the most beautiful things in this universe.
She prayed at the end: I have never experienced a prayer like this one. I cried the whole way through it. The spirit in that small, cluttered room was the strongest I have ever felt. The gospel is the most powerful truth on this green earth. It saved my life, and it is saving Leah's.
And all God's people said: AMEN!
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Oh, by the by: Elder Palmer is the greatest person I have ever met in my life. He loves Jesus Christ more than anyone I've ever met, and he just wants to tell everyone about it. He is a saint, a Mormon saint. I pray with all my heart that we will be friends after he leaves. He has changed my life. I LOVE MORMONS.

Those Beautiful Nights

Sunday was one of the greatest days that I have had in a while. Every Sunday is wonderful in its own way, just because church never fails to be the best part of my week.
Since it was the first Sunday of the month, it was fast Sunday and testimony meeting. The testimonies were so powerful, and most of them were about missionary work. Elder Palmer bore a super incredible testimony about how his sickness has made him so much more humble and willing to accept help from people. I've never seen him cry before, but he actually did. It was really interesting to see that side of him - apparently he never used to want to accept help from people but he's sort of been forced to. He has the most beautiful testimony I have ever heard; pretty much any time he talks I cry. I love to hear testimonies; each one is unique, though they testify of similar truths. Each and every testimony has the power to change and save lives - we just have to remember to share it. The spirit was so strong in that chapel that it was almost impossible to get up and leave.
My new friend Leah, who is getting baptized in 2 weeks, was at church. It's the most amazing thing to see someone start to grow in the gospel - she is amazing. She came into my life at the perfect time. She has helped me to stop and count my blessings and remember what is really means to be a missionary (even if I don't have a badge). I hope I'm making an impact in her life, but she has no idea how much of an impact she is making in mine.
After church I went to another church (my old YoungLife leaders Tim & April started a church in their home that is now in an actual church building) just for fun, and because I wanted to keep the spirit that was with me. It was awesome to hear Tim preach again. He talked about Matthew 15, about the Pharisees that Jesus called hyporcites. His sermon really hit home actually - we can't just say that we are Christian, we have to BE Christian and truly represent all that we believe in. I loved being there again, but I couldn't help thinking about how lucky I am to know the truthfulness of the restored gospel. I had no idea back then what exactly I was missing in my life; now of course, I know exactly what that was.
I'm still not used to the concept of missionaries just packing up and leaving. So many missionaries have made such a huge difference in my life and taught me so many things, and it is just so hard to see them go. I have met the greatest missionaries: Elder Warren, Elder Allred, Elder Rasmussen, Elder Hill, Elder Beberger, Elder Palmer, and Elder Christensen, and so many more. I am amazed at the commitment and love that each of these young men show. Truly all they want to do is share the gospel. I look up to them all so much; I know that I will go on a mission one day, and these guys show on a daily basis how much they love to be missionaries - I want that! I want it so badly. Unfortunately, Elder Hill was transfered today. It just makes me so sad. I'm happy that he gets to experience something new but it doesn't mean that I'm going to miss him any less. He is such an amazing missionary, and so humble about it. It's so awesome. We got to throw a farewell party for him on Sunday (it's become a tradition), and we had my mom's chocolate pudding Magic Cake and played some Midnight Madness (or Minutes to Madnight, as Elder Hill would say). It was absolutely crazy - I have never experienced anything as crazy as playing this game with missionaries. It's just constant yelling and cheering mixed with Harry Potter spells, Irish/Scottish/British accents, and a whole lot of talking smack. It's just about the greatest thing ever. It was so awesome because Elder Hill finally won! It was a well played match, and he totally deserved it. Before we played, though, the Elders gave a spiritual thought that was so powerful. Elder Hill talked about how much he loves his mission and how much it has changed bim. He got really emotional, which made it so much more real. He has been a truly great missionary and he will be for the rest of his life. The missionaries never fail to amaze me. They can be totally serious and be the best teachers in the world, but they can have the funnest, craziest times too. I'm so lucky to know them.
After we said our goodbyes, the fun just got more fun at the Lattin's. We drove over to the Macfarlane's house to borrow a movie (we basically broke in since they weren't home) and during the car ride we made up songs about Mormons to the tune of the song Blow by Kesha. I gotta say, they were pretty grand. We watched The Princess Bride outside on the Lattin's projector screen/sheet. Every line in that movie is hilarious, it was such a blast. After the movie, Emma, Sammi, Mrs. Lattin and I all sat out in the dark and watched for shooting stars. I think we saw four or five. When Emma drove me home, we sat in her car for over an hour just talking about our lives. I love talking to her - I talk, she listens. She talks, I listen. It's the best. We always bond well over those conversations. :)
There's something so special about those moments you spend with people you love. I wish that night could have gone on forever. I just have to remind myself to see the beauty in the small things, the things that I might overlook because I was busy looking for the next best thing.

I am so extremely blessed. That's about all I have left to say right now.

Introduction

A few things that need to be established right now:
My name is Michelle Christine Scott.
I am a senior.
I like to cook/bake for people, look at the stars, read books about love or friendship or wizards or anything really, and I also like to run, ride bikes, and hike around the beautiful state of Colorado.
I've only ever broken toes and fingers, and it makes me feel kind of lame.
I love where I live.
I have the best friends in the world.
I am convinced that my church is the most wonderful place in the entire world.
I am 17 (almost 18), and most importantly of all,
I'm Mormon.