A Christmas Message, More or Less

Wow... goodness, it's been a long time since I last posted. Let's see... a lot has happened in my life. Some really good things, some really bad things, but I think I'm going to focus on the positive.

School is almost done! I can't wait until December 17th. Then, I will finally be done with finals, done with papers, done with classes, and done with this semester! Not that I haven't enjoyed my classes; I have. I just wish I could focus on some classes in much more depth than others. But when time is so scarce, I don't have the time to pursue exactly what I want to pursue.

Enough about school... I am stoked for Christmas this year! I finally have money and can buy good presents for my family. I'm also really excited to start singing Christmas songs and making candies. The Christmas season itself is so much better than Christmas morning. Most people find this odd, but my favorite holiday isn't Christmas, it's Christmas Eve (I know it's not technically a holiday, but oh well). That's the day that I get to spend with my family completely; we have a huge dinner, talk, sit around and sing songs, open special presents, and enjoy one another's company. That's what Christmas should be about: family, love, the "spirit of Christmas."

My mom was reading in a magazine the other day about a tradition this lady started with her children. Every year, her and her kids would decide on 24 good deeds that they could perform throughout the month of December, leading up to Christmas. Each day, they would randomly pick a deed, and once they finished this deed, they would put it in their jar. These deeds were simple things like holding the door open for someone or picking up a piece of trash. On Christmas Eve, the mom would put all of the jars under the Christmas tree so Santa could see all of the good things the children had done throughout the month. I love this idea. Wouldn't life be a much better place if we could do a good deed for someone every day? Not just in the month of December, but all year 'round.

This story really changed how I've been looking at each day ahead of me. If I look forward to the day with a bright smile and lots of energy, I have a much better day, I'm less stressed, and I feel good about myself. Soemtimes I wish I could share my happiness and joy with others, and what better time to do this than Christmas?

Service really is the best way to happiness. Choosing to follow Christ's footsteps every single day, making the conscience decision that you will follow Him is possible, plausible, and protective in nature. I am so blessed to have a knowledge of the truth of the gospel in my life. It has changed everything about me; about how I look at events; about how I look at others. It's rather quite simple. Just start choosing to be happy, and the rest will fall into place. Life really is wonderful, we just have to consciously choose to make the best of each and every day.

The sure way to peace and happiness in this life and life hereafter is to serve the Lord today and everyday. Choose this day whom ye will serve. God will take care of the rest.

And if I don't post on here again until after Christmas, Merry Christmas! Keep the true meaning in your hearts and don't let the commercialized version get to your heads. :)

Life Stresses and Disappointments

Life is stressful. Most people know this... I guess I just got the memo. I thought being independent (to an extent) and getting my own life would help me with dealing with the stresses of life. It definitely has. I've had lots of stressful times, and I know that nothing will ever compare to some of those. But now, I'm just stressed about life in general. I need to find a job, I need to start making money, I need to get a car, I need to go to school, I need to read my textbooks, I need to do well. Why can't I just do what I want to... I want to be happy. I don't want to be stressed out. Is that really too much to ask?

Why do I keep having these weird moods where I'm so down and depressing to talk to. I'm not me. I am, but I'm not. Make sense? Is this all just a part of growing up? I thought I'd be happy to be back in school. To be busy. To live my life. But, I'm not. I thought keeping close friends around all the time would help me. I have amazing friends and family and relatives. I don't know why I'm not happy. I don't have any reason to be disappointed with my life. Happiness is part choice, part circumstance. My circumstances are good, so maybe I just need to choose to be happy. I think I'll try that tomorrow. That should solve everything, hopefully.