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.
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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.