To the lovely Sister Callister

Dear Jasmine,

Okay, yes, this is a public letter.  I'm not sure how you feel about that. But here ya go.  This is from me, and also from all of us.

Jasmine! You're going to Paris! PARIS.
Jasmine! You're going on a MISSION. (That's more exciting than Paris...)

Here are a bunch of things that we love about you (in no particular order):

You are an amazing cook. Baker. Everything.

You always do the right thing.

You are easy to talk to.

You are inspiring.

You are hilarious and have a great sense of humor.

 You have great music taste.

You look good - 100% of the time.
You WORK OUT!

You always come up with really fun things to do.

You have the most adorable sense of style.

You introduced us to dry shampoo (best. thing. ever)

 You quietly go about doing good and setting a good example.  You do good for the sake of doing good, not for praise or in a self-righteous way.

You ask good questions about people's lives.

You sense others' feelings really well.

Thank you for being such a good friend.  I am seriously so blessed to have met you and your family.  You are always so willing to serve and talk with me. I will always remember some of our deeper conversations. I am so jealous of all your future companions!

 You love the gospel with all of your heart, and you will be such an amazing missionary in Paris!

We love you! I love you!

Love,
Emma
Karina
Hannah
Sarah, and
Ellie

an extrovert

In high school I took that personality test- you know, you're either a INFP, or an ESFJ, or an ENTJ.  Or something of 16 variants (something like that).
Are you an extrovert or an introvert?
Sensing or iNtuition?
Thinking or Feeling?
Judging or Perceiving?

I liked what I got back.  I won't say what I was.  Except that I've realized one thing since I've taken that test and come to college.

I'm an extrovert.
(Most of the time).
And yes, it might depend on how you define extrovert.

I've developed into an extrovert.

I thrive off of social interaction.
Maybe I'm a little closed off and shy at first and maybe I don't like opening myself up to a bunch of people.  But I realized, it's only the deepest parts of myself.  And not many people open up like that. (Heck- I write a blog...)

 Last week I was sick. I went to school but I didn't feel like myself.  I went home and curled up in a ball trying to stay warm but study Italian at the same time.
And I missed people.

Maybe I don't go up and talk to every person I meet and at a party I'm definitely not the leader or the one to start dancing in the middle first.

But.
I like being there.  I like being there and observing people and talking to new people and getting to know them.  I love that.  I want to get to know people.  I want to understand them.  Understanding people.  Feeling connected with them.  I want to understand what makes us all human. (This is why the hashtag fascinates me.  But that's another story.)
I want to know you.  Why are you you?

And I can sit in the library and read all about the Peoples of India and what makes them unique - but it's not the same as being there, understanding it, and living it.

So yes, a test may tell me I'm an introvert.
But, I am most definitely an extrovert.
Because being around people makes me happy.
Telling people what I think (even if it's crazy) makes me happy.
Listening to others' ideas makes me happy.
Understanding people, and being a part of the culture and the craziness - that makes me happy.

And I think we all crave a little social interaction now and then, even if we're an introvert.  Because we're all human.  And that's something we all can connect with - despite culture, religion, race, color, or even gender.  And while I believe these social groups are absolutely a part of our unique identities, I think it's fascinating to discover what unites us all as humans.

(maybe I should just be a freakin Anthropology major...)

Some tips for falling asleep from an expert ;)

1. Check every social media site you participate in before lying in bed.
2. Keep your phone on full volume just in case anyone needs to get a hold of you. There could be an emergency.
3. Lie in bed and make mental lists of everything you need to do the next day. Don't worry, you'll remember everything the next morning.
4. Drink something caffeinated. It really helps get those sleep hormones going.
5. Eat a bunch of chips and salsa.
6. Study for all of your classes in your bed. They say if you sleep on it (literally) you'll remember more.
7. Think about all the people you might have possibly offended that day and think of ways you can apologize to them.
8. Remember all those good memories you have from your past relationships and just replay them in your head over and over again.
9. Keep switching sides. Try using two pillows. Try out new positions. Hold your breath periodically.
10. Keep blogging in the middle of the night. I'm sure that helps you sleep a lot ;)

love those epiphanic moments

This week in my New Testament class I noticed some things in the scriptures that were particularly touching.  I didn't learn anything I didn't know before, but I saw some symbolism in the scriptures that I just found profound.  And I learned that there are hidden gems in the scriptures all of the time, we just have to look hard enough. As my teacher pointed them out to me, I kept loudly whispering... "that's so cool!" 

 
Acts Chapter 20 - the story of Eutychus.

Verse 7:
And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from  the third loft, and was taken up dead.
And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
When he therefore was up again, and had broken bread and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

Eutychus is a Fall of Adam type.
Paul is a Christ type.
And yes, while one could say - don't fall asleep in church because bad things could happen to you - there is such profound symbolism here.

Aren't we all like Eutychus here in some way?  Although we don't believe that Adam's transgression is our own, we still suffer the consequences for that sin. We all sin.  We all fall short every day.  We fall asleep in church.  We say hurtful things to people that we regret. We watch something we know we probably shouldn't.

But, as Paul fell down on him and embraced him - Christ does for us.  If we let him.
And, we can do that for others as we follow Christ's example.

This is such a beautiful image of Christ's love to me.  He has suffered for me, he falls down to embrace me when I am fallen.  And through Christ, we can live again.

I love these golden nuggets in the scriptures.

three things and why

I don't write this blog for a bunch of page views.

I'm not really into the classic - lets take pictures of what I'm wearing and be all fashionista like.

I can't really cook.  I don't post a bunch of recipes that are to die for and everyone should make.

I'm not a photographer. (Although, Instagram is an amazing creating that makes me feel like I am).

I don't even care if anyone reads it. (Even though I might write like I do.)

I'll blog more.  Just because I don't journal enough.  And somedays, I like to look back and wonder what I was thinking.

Oh, and more pictures.

Why do I write?  Just because I like to think.  I like to think out loud and in some way get my thoughts all in one place.  I write about... life.  My life.  I write about random ideas that I have.  Pages that could go on and on.  Philosophies.  Life lessons. That's all this is.

Today I'm thinking about just a couple of things.

1) Italy.

2) My sisters.  I miss them. 3 more weeks!

3) This video.
Boring is easy.  Everyone can be boring.
Aren't we all on the same team?
This is life, people.  You've got air comin through your nose.  And your heart beat.  That means it's time to do something!
It hurt, man!
Not cool, Robert Frost.
I want to be on the one that leads to awesome.
Keep goin, keep goin, and keep goin.
What will be your space jam?
This is your time, this is my time, this is our time.
We've got work to do.
We can cry about it, or we can dance about it.
Get to it!

Love,
Emma