Modesty

The value of modesty has been on my mind lately. I feel like the world is spiraling downward at a fast rate in this category. It truly makes me sad. Modesty is not always "popular" and showing your body seems to be in style. Check Pinterest for example. Some of the things that are posted on there blow me away.

I believe that there is light at the end of the tunnel. We can stand up for what we know is right. We can dress in a way that shows that we respect ourselves. It is easy to dress immodestly and follow the crowd, but not everyone has the strength to stand out and be an "example of the believers" (1 Timothy 4:12). We can.

A friend of mine wrote an amazing post about modesty a few months ago. I highly recommend you read it. It was inspiring and it really made me think.

In the LDS "For the Strength of Youth" pamphlet, it gives very good counsel on modesty. I believe that we all, no matter what our age, should follow the counsel in this amazing pamphlet. The following quote is from it.

"Prophets of God have continually counseled His children to dress modestly. When you are well groomed and modestly dressed, you invite the companionship of the Spirit and you can be a good influence on others. Your dress and grooming influence the way you and others act.

Never lower your standards of dress. Do not use a special occasion as an excuse to be immodest. When you dress immodestly, you send a message that is contrary to your identity as a son or daughter of God. You also send the message that you are using your body to get attention and approval.

Immodest clothing is any clothing that is tight, sheer, or revealing in any other manner. Young women should avoid short shorts and short skirts, shirts that do not cover the stomach, and clothing that does not cover the shoulders or is low-cut in the front or the back. Young men should also maintain modesty in their appearance. Young men and young women should be neat and clean and avoid being extreme or inappropriately casual in clothing, hairstyle, and behavior. They should choose appropriately modest apparel when participating in sports. The fashions of the world will change, but the Lord’s standards will not change."   

The fashions in the world change, but the Lord's standards don't. I believe that. Let us stand together and be an example of the believers!

Christmas Break

I have officially finished my first semester of graduate school! I loved it. Social work is one of my passions. Jaren will finish up his semester this week and then it is Christmas break! We have all sorts of plans for Christmas break. Everything from a full day Harry Potter movie marathon to romantic dinner dates :) I also have a long list of things to do that I don't have time to do during school that I want to accomplish during the break. I love this time of year. Bring on the hot chocolate and candy canes!

I can't believe that Christmas is coming. Today at church we heard talks about Christmas. It got me thinking. How can I make this Christmas season more centered around Jesus Christ? It is so easy to focus on more trivial things (as seen in the above paragraph ;) so how can I focus more on what Christmas is really about? One thing that Jaren and I talked about is focusing on service during the break. Making a goal to do an act of service outside of the home each day of the break would help us, even if the act of service is something simple and small.

At this time of year, some people are hurting. A friend of mine lost her father a few weeks ago. It really put things into perspective for me. It made everything that I worry about seen so small and insignificant. I hope to make this Christmas season a time to help those who are lonely or overwhelmed with life. I think that that is how my Savior would be spending this holiday season if he were here.

Tis' the Season...

Christmas music was playing and the smell of homemade hot cocoa was in the air. Jaren and I were setting up our Christmas decorations. We had opened up our dusty boxes of Christmas decorations and were figuring out how we should set everything up. We needed to remove some of our day-to-day décor to made room for the red and white characters and twinkling lights. Our picture of the Savior was taken down to make room for cute Christmas snowmen (very ironic). A moment later, we realized what we had done. Our actions showed symbolism of what easily happens at Christmas time. With the hustle and bustle of the season, the true meaning can become more and more faded. After our realization, we decided to place our picture of the Savior as a central Christmas decoration in our living room. We want this to become a tradition.  

Tonight during the LDS Christmas Devotional, President Uchtdorf talked about the gift that we can give to our Savior. The only gift that can be given to Him is our hearts. He has given us everything: our families, immortality, eternal life. All that He wants in return is our hearts. President Thomas S. Monson said that "this is the time to rededicate ourselves."

May this Christmas season be a time of service and giving. May it be a time of pondering on the true meaning of Christmas. May it be a time of remembrance about what life is all about.

November

I love November for two reasons... my husbands birthday and Thanksgiving! Both went well this year.

Jaren turned 25 years old! I am now officially married to an old man ;) For his birthday I decided to go with the theme of "favorite things". I left surprises for him to find throughout the day. The surprises were some of his favorite things with notes on them that told him some of my favorite things about him. That might sound confusing... here are some pictures to clear it up :)

Here are the notes that I taped onto his surprises

Does anyone know how to rotate pictures in blogger?

His birthday present: New shirt and permission to get an Xbox 360 on
black friday (he has been begging for 2 years) ;)

We spent Thanksgiving down in Utah with my mom's side of the family. It is always fun to be with family.

Waiting in line for 3 1/2 hours at Walmart :)

I'm so grateful

Thanksgiving is this week. I love thanksgiving. I think that it sometimes gets overshadowed by Christmas and we miss out on how special Thanksgiving is. It is at this time of year that we can reflect on our lives and what we are grateful for. I am grateful for so much. My life is rich with blessings. I am grateful for...

My husband Jaren Lance - I started falling for Jaren when I was 16 years old. Four years later, we were married for eternity. I'm so grateful that he chose me. He treats me like a princess. He lets me spread my wings and chase my dreams. I'm grateful for our growing love.

My family - I love my family so much. They have helped me to become the woman I am. My parents are my heroes and my siblings are my friends. I am so grateful that I get to be with them forever.

My friends - I have been greatly blessed with amazing friends that love me and love their Savior Jesus Christ. Each friend that I have had throughout the years holds a special place in my heart. They are part of me.

Education - I love school and what comes from education. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I have to go to college. My college years have been an amazing time for me. I have found my passion for social work and helping the people who need it the most.

Music - Music is a huge part of my world. It calms the heart and mends the soul. I am grateful for my talents and how music has touched my life.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ - I am a Mormon and because of this, I have been able to find true joy and happiness. I know where I came from, why I am here, and where I am going. Jesus Christ is my best friend. I am grateful for my religion and beliefs.

 

A Lasting Marriage

Happy 24th Anniversary to my Mom and Dad! They have been an example of what a lasting marriage can be like. They have taught me that marriage is hard but so worth it. With divorce rates rising and Hollywood making marriage seem less and less desirable, I'm so grateful to know that love can last. Marriage can work and be wonderful. And, like my Mom says, "it only gets better."  

Jaren and I decided to suprise my parents with a romantic dinner
for the two of them at our apartment. They loved it :)

The love birds themselves :)

On a side note... I am so excited for the CMA awards! They are tomorrow night. That probably sounds silly but I LOVE country music :)

The Benefit of the Doubt

Giving people the benefit of the doubt is liberating. This is something that has really hit me this past little while. A few things happened this week that could have hurt my feelings. During these times, it just hit me that these people are not "out to get me". I was able to take a step back and realize that what was done was not to hurt my feelings. I usually do not do this well at stepping into other peoples shoes, but this time I did and I learned a big lesson. I could have wasted my time pondering on what had happened. I could have felt bad and been mad at others. But, by giving them the benefit of the doubt, I freed myself of those feelings. It was liberating. I have found that it is really easy to look into what someone says or does and take it personally. Usually, what was said or done was not meant to come across that way at all. It sure does save a lot of grief to assume that nobody is deliberately trying to be mean.