Paths to Follow

       Alright, blogging world, tonight is going to be a little more personal. But I can't seem to shake this thought process, and I am hoping to reach out to other people like me. So here it goes...

        I have wanted to serve a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since I was a little girl. My mother and father's stories of missionary experience gave me a desire to share my testimony and beliefs with others. I even dressed up as a sister missionary one year in high school for Halloween. I have always felt a kinship for sister missionaries, and I am currently writing a biography of the first full-time proselytizing sister missionary for the LDS Church, Inez Knight Allen.

       When I came to BYU, I had no clue that I would lose all of my male friends right after my freshman year. I felt hurt and alone. I longed to serve just like there were, and I found myself angry and upset with those who left just because it was the way to fit in or because of pressure. Didn't they see that a mission was so much more? Why couldn't more people wait and pray until they knew the Lord wanted them to go?

       I was also sick and tired of hearing that women only went because they weren't married or didn't know what to do with their lives. Sisters were just as important as elders. I knew that from my incredible mom. I was determined to serve and prove them wrong.

        Well, the Lord threw some much needed perspective my way over the next few years. I started to realize that I was determined to do the same thing that frustrated me so much: serve to make a point. I realized that true missionary service is more about always being a disciple of Christ rather than wearing a name tag. And most importantly, I realized that I should only serve if I knew that is what the Lord wanted for me. This period of time also helped me realize what I truly believed in, and that my testimony and conversion are a process that I work at everyday.

        Now there has been a recent change in missionary age (Mormon Newsroom Article) , and things seem to be taking a dramatic upswing for sister service. I think that is a beautiful and marvelous change. But... I have also been asked a lot of other questions about my personal life. This seems to be especially true of prospective sister missionaries. They seem to have it all figured out for me. I should try to defer my scholarship. I should just go now, or else I will be married before I can.

         I would like to emphasize something very clearly at this point: everyone makes their own decisions in life. Everyone has their own path to follow. Just as I should not be concerned or frustrated over other people's opinions (which, as demonstrated above, I am still imperfect), other people should not feel the need or desire to tell me when to serve or how to serve. I am going to be a sister missionary now in the best ways that I can, and I will continue to counsel with the Lord as to the decisions I should make for my life. I will follow the path that I feel is best for me. I am happy and excited for the prospects of sister missionary service for all of my friends, but I hope they will be happy and excited for my prospects in life. And that is the musing of a marvelous me.

The Little Things

        O.K., get ready for a clichéd and trite post. But today, I want to take a moment to appreciate the little moments in life. 

         Last night did not go as planned, but my roommate and I did make a miraculous discovery. We are experts at the game of catching small food items in your mouth. We should work as a circus duo with our an uncanny ability in the game of catching Goldfish cracker. I am the catcher, and she is the thrower. It does NOT work the other way. I cannot throw, and she cannot catch. But when placed in its proper order, we are unstoppable. We have got a rhythm that is quite extraordinary, if you ask me. After practicing for awhile in our room, we took our side show to the crowds, showing our other roommates and friends. The pressure of the spotlight did not halter our abilities. In fact, it seemed to only enhance them. We have developed quite a knack for this game, and we are thinking of filming our success and putting it online. I mean, we even managed to make it work with a cherry tomato. We are planning on moving on to Sour Patch Kids next...Watch out, world. We might just be the next lame America's Got Talent contestants. 

         For tips on how to be as successful as we are, check out this Wiki-How: How to Catch Small Food Objects in Your Mouth

         Then, today, brought another little thing. I finally finished up all of my to-do list for the week, and the entire day felt like a Friday. Thank you, odd BYU schedule. For the first time in a very long time, I felt this peace and relaxation sweep over me. I do not have to go to work. I do not have to edit papers. I do not have worry about my observation hours anymore. I can set aside my homework for a day. I can listen to music and feel completely at ease. I can do all of my favorite, odd, little tasks, like organizing my sock drawer and washing my sheets. (That sounds OCD. I promise it's not. :P ) I can take time for Amy. Those words rarely appear in the same sentence together, but today, they finally do. 

        So today, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am simply grateful for the little things like catching food in your mouth with an amazing roommate and feeling peace settle back into your skin.  I am grateful for the little moments in life that make you laugh and smile. And that is the musing of a marvelous me. 

The Lost Art of Letter Writing

         I love getting letters. There is something really magical about going out to the mailbox and finding a letter from a friend or loved one with your name on it. It seems to say, "Why, hello there! I'm here to tell you that someone out there cares so much about you that they wrote you this letter." (Hopefully the letter doesn't actually talk to you...if that is the case, then you have entered Hogwarts. Then you need to contact me IMMEDIATELY.) A letter that is two pages or more means that this is the real deal. That person really cares about you. Honestly, getting letters is one of the greatest joys in life.

        Unfortunately, it seems to be a dying art. People are not taking the time to sit down and write letters to one another. An e-mail can be thoughtful, but it is not nearly as exciting or meaningful as a letter penned with thought and care. To quote Manny Delgado, "It's a lost art. No one puts pen to paper anymore." Hopeful this art does not fade away, like cursive handwriting seems to be headed. That is another tragedy that I will try to preserve in my future classroom, along with letter writing. I want people to experience the pure joy of receiving a hand-written letter, and then help them cherish that gift they have received.

      This entire love of letter writing has led me to my happy musing for today. I am amazed and ecstatic over a "worldwide collaborative art project" that I discovered called Snail Mail My Email. This incredible project takes an email that you send them (100 words or less) and turns it into a beautiful, handwritten letter. You provide them with the address to send it, and they will do the whole thing for free. They will also even include a little extra touch, like a lipstick kiss or a flower petal. All of the instructions are on the website that can be found by clicking the link above. It is seriously an amazing opportunity, and it runs until this Friday. Please, be a part of this amazing phenomena. You could even get a little crazy and write one on your own. :)

      I have sent one to someone special today, and I encourage you to do the same. It only takes a few minutes, and it is well-worth the effort. Just do it! Send a letter to someone to show how much you care. I promise you won't regret it. And that is the musing of a marvelous me.

      Please comment below if you chose to send a letter... I want to hear your stories!

A Day to Never Forget

Today, I lived up November 6th. I was a volunteer for the Utah Colleges Exit Poll. It was a chance to really participate in political research, and it felt wonderful to witness the United States political system at play. I loved the instantaneous feeling of helping learn results and asking people for their opinion. I believe that is the real beauty of election day: demonstrating that everyone's opinion matters. It is a feeling of validation rarely found anywhere else. It is a true expression of free speech.


But the greatest moment of my day was voting for the very first time as a United States Citizen. I am going to proudly admit that I almost cried in the voter booth. (Of course, remembering Leslie Knope at that moment, too.) I realized that my opinion matters; that my voice is important. I loved voting. I thought of my suffragette heroines, like Emmeline B. Wells and Susan B. Anthony who made it possible for me to vote. Susan never got the chance, and it breaks my heart. But I vote in respect of her hard-fought battle that made it possible for me.


Maybe someday I will be just like Leslie Knope, and vote for my name on a ballot. But for now, I am simply extremely grateful for the chance I had to vote today. I love voting. And that is just the musing of a marvelous me.