In my short experience as a junior in high school, I have learned so much about the gospel. Every day, my one mission is to follow the Spirit. I've found that when I have the Spirit with me everywhere I go, I get excited about learning and I want to be there. I can see the worth in others that I could never see before, and I can see ways in which I can help them. Each day I try to live with no regrets. Every time I refuse to follow a prompting, I regret it. I always wonder, "you may have changed their life if you had the courage to say hi to them. But now you'll never know because you were too afraid." It is the worst feeling in the world knowing that you have "feared man more than God." If you are ever blessed with a prompting of the Spirit, take the opportunity! Don't let those blessings pass you by as I have done on far too many occasions. No regrets!
I have also learned that life truly is an adventure! I had the wonderful opportunity to go white water rafting with some of the other youth in my ward last weekend. I had never been before, and so I was understandably nervous about the prospect of flying down a white frothing rapid with absolutely no control, being led by the will of merciless water. Images of the headlines the next day flashed through my mind: "16 YEAR OLD GIRL KILLED IN RAPIDS LABELED 'EASIEST RAPIDS IN OREGON'." I just knew I was going to die! But I said a prayer that everything was going to be okay and as we shoved our raft off the shore my fear washed away and faith took over. With faith, life is fun! I stood on the front of the raft going down incredible rapids and flipped of a makeshift slip 'n slide and did every crazy thing I could. I'm not saying that if you jump off a cliff and just have a lot of faith everything is going to be okay. (Please don't try it!) But I am saying that with God on your side, you don't have to be afraid of everything. You can have fun and be calm knowing that everything is going to work out. I am a rafter! I am also a treasure hunter! Talking with one of my friends today, we discovered that life is a treasure hunt. God had created this beautiful plan in which everything works out and He leaves little nuggets of spiritual gold all over the place. He guides us to find it and celebrates with us when we take pride in our accomplishment. He put the gold there, and he brought us to it, but we still celebrate our victory! He wants to find all the pieces and see the beauty in every day life. We just need to follow the path he has put us on and we will find the goodness in everything.
Beautiful view of the river rafting last weekend!
So, as a super adventurer, of course I must have fans. There is one fan in particular that with every passing day I see more and more how much she is not only a fan, but my biggest supporter. Let me tell you what her morning schedule looks like...
Wake up at 4:45, go into Chara's room and try to make her stir a little bit, 15 minutes later do it again, get ready for a rushed shower, go back into Chara's room and use a little more force in my voice. Take a shower, choose an outfit, and check on Chara to make sure she didn't fall asleep in the shower, expertly do hair and makeup, try to wake up my 13 year old son, James. Repeat as many times as needed. Run downstairs and make a beautiful breakfast for the children, run Chara's lunch out to her car before she drives away without it again. Stuff a few bites in my mouth and then off to work.
If you haven't already guessed, this is my mother. She does so much for our family, I don't even know how she does it. My mom isn't perfect, but she loves us so much. As we get back into our morning routines, please take an extra second to remember the many long hours spent by your mother. The world may say that taking "the mommy track" is a cop-out or something that only uneducated, weak women choose. I can say right now that I know two mothers very personally who work harder than a lot of women out there and they are anything but dumb or weak! This week I have realized that someday when I become a mother, I can only hope to be as amazing as my mother and my older sister. The examples of righteous mothers are all around us. God has emphasized the importance of mothers in our world today. Take a moment to appreciate all that your mother has done for you. I don't mean to sound preachy, but they truly are our biggest fans. Thanks for everything Mom!
One thing my Mom does that makes her the very best mom EVER is she makes this stuff called Polenta. It's basically corn meal, but polenta just sounds fancier. It is one of the best gluten free, dairy free, soy free etc, breakfast recipes out there!
Adventurer Approved Polenta
4 cups water
1/2 tsp. sea salt
3 Tbls. butter
1 cup polenta
Boil water, butter, and salt. Add Polenta on medium heat. Whisk together until it starts getting thick. Cover, reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. While cooking, add a couple of tablespoons of agave or honey. A double batch makes a loaf. Put the mixture into a loaf pan and refrigerate. When it has fully cooled and the loaf has a kind of jello-y texture, take it out of the pan and slice it up.
I like to fry it in a little bacon grease and serve with agave on top like syrup. When frying it, be patient, it takes a little while to get it crispy on both sides. You can also top it with honey or maple syrup.
Kid approved and fantastic!
Thanks Mom for a great polenta breakfast every morning!
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