stronger

after yesterday's extremely selfish and self centered post (yeah sorry about that; i feel bad), here is a little something to remind us what life is really all about. 

you guyssssss! this is amazing! did you get the chills? i did. i just can't wait for the day that i can work and help these amazing kids! what an inspiration.

that's all. 

go love life.

passion and piano keys

recently i've been thinking about passion. what am i passionate about? what makes me really excited? what do i love doing? i am sure there are multiple answers to these questions. but this weekend i was reminded of one of my greatest passions- helping other's dreams come true.

my little brother Hyrum is awesome. seriously. on my birthday we found out that he had been accepted to Brigham Young University's Piano Performance Program! i literally screamed. it is so difficult to get into the School of Music here and i am so proud that out of 80 who auditioned, hyrum was one of 12 to be accepted.
when hyrum was about 8 or 9, we sat together in Abravanel Hall watching a young man play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2-- an extremely difficult piece of music. that day hyrum said to us, "someday i'm going to play that concerto with an orchestra." this weekend, i am proud to say, he fulfilled that dream.

as i sat and watched him play, although i had heard the piece many times, it was new and exciting to me. he played with passion and fire. he loved every second of it. before i knew it, the concerto was over and we were on our feet, ecstatic with applause. it was the best performance i had ever heard him make. i impatiently waited through two more pieces until the concert was over. i couldn't wait to hug my brother. as we hugged i felt his emotions. they were flowing over. i don't cry easy, but seeing my brother close to tears, from happiness, was overwhelming and i had to check myself to hold back the tears that threatened to push their way out.
people, do what you love! i was judged and despised last week because my goals did not include an MD or a six figure salary. but really, that is not what matters. be practical (we can't all run away to the beach and have all the money in the world), but don't limit yourself. if you have a dream then go out and get it. there are great places you can go. you can do anything! don't forget to allow yourself to dream, to do the things you love, and always live with passion.
in other news: it was the weekend of insanity.
friday evening after the concert.
- stake activity at seven peaks. soup and bread sticks. dancing. ice skating.
- baby mama with erin, jessie, john and matt. "i want to reward you with five minutes of uninterrupted eye contact."
- hot chocolate from 7-11 at 1:30 am.

saturday.
-sleeping in until 10. woops.
- getting africa pictures from sarah.
- unwanted batch of brownies.
- michelle's senior recital.
- get rejected #1.
- failed attempt at Tucanos. going to Beto's (aka Rancherito's) instead. i want to have a heart attack.
- filling out the fafsa threatens to ruin my mood.
- retail therapy with Shaunzi. 2 for 1 boots at forever 21. score. God loves me.
- grocery shopping without your list= jell-O and skittles.
- physics 108 paper
- visiting heather. girl talk. Connie and Carla. popcorn. old Christmas candy.
- hyrum goes to the ER. sprained ankle. at least it's not his hand.
- laundry at 11:30 pm.

sunday.
- Mark's farewell. cold chapel= freezing me. luncheon after. best. salad. ever. (lettuce, bleu cheese, candied walnuts, yellow peppers, and craisins.)
- get rejected #2
- watch 17 Miracles on youtube. roommate's boyfriend laughs at me.
- make homemade oreos.
- letter writing.
- get asked on a date. dance for joy.
- brownie delivery.
- oreo birthday party. cute boy is there. i'm trying to play it cool. what does that even mean?
- finish filling out scholarship application. please give me money so i can graduate!
- finally finish Harry Potter 4 with jake. it's about freakin' time.

phew it was a cray cray weekend! i didn't take as many pictures as i wanted to but that's because i was spending time making memories :) i like having busy weekends, except when i wake up on monday and realize how much studying i have to do. hooray.


what was your favorite part of the weekend?

a discovery

remember this post? i've been feeling like something is missing in my life. i want so badly to align my life with God's will for me, but I've been very unsure of how to do so. as a result, i've continued to do the things i have made habits. i've read my patriarchal blessing more than ever before. really trying to see and feel what they Lord would have me do to fulfill my "mission" here on earth. prayer has become an even more integral part of my daily activities. i have a goal to go to the temple every week until i leave for Africa.
i haven't had any strokes of inspiration concerning where i am supposed to go, or what i am supposed to do with life. but yesterday, in d&c something came to mind. we were studying "the new and everlasting covenant of marriage." suddenly i realized- i want to get to the celestial kingdom! not to toot my own horn, but i am basically doing everything in order to attain that privilege. i'm not perfect by any means, but i am keeping the covenants i've made to the best of my ability. the only step that i can take to help me progress further is marriage! um yeah crazy right? i have never been one to think that i need to get married right away- i'm still not. but i do realize that i need eternal marriage to progress to godhood. wow.
i'm so grateful for the holy ghost and his promptings! i hope i can follow his promptings to lead me where i am supposed to go and to meet the people i need to meet.

tangled

this past week was ca-razy. 

seriously.

i had 4 tests and an orchestra concert.

however wednesday night i took a respite from studying, went out, and saw Tangled.

finally, right?

and, i lurved it!

[ i may or may not have thought this movie was very overrated. i was not terribly interested in seeing it until my mother recommended it. you know if your mom tells you to see a movie then you'd better see it. i was very happily surprised.]

i've never really resonated with any of the princesses. not like i did with rapunzel. maybe it's just that i'm going through some decision making in my life. or maybe it's because i looks like her (see below). but i am addicted to this show! 

 i have blonde hair and green eyes. i think yes, i look like her.

my favorite lines

Rapuzel: I've been looking out of a window for eighteen years, dreaming about what I might feel like when those lights rise in the sky. What if it's not everything I dreamed it would be? 

Flynn Rider: It will be. 

Rapunzel: And what if it is? What do I do then? 

Flynn Rider: Well,that's the good part I guess. You get to go find a new dream

so i didn't go to the festival of colors

but my weekend was quite eventful.






BECAUSE

i met jimmer

nbd.

i still don't wanna talk about the game on thursday. a tear or two may have been shed by yours truly. i get really emotional over sports.

mid-college crisis slash twirly chair thoughts

you know how when you play the game of Life and you land on a spot that say "mid-life crisis. choose a new career." lately i've been feeling like that- except, thankfully, i'm still in college. before ya'll freak out (because i know you are all so interested in my future plans) no i'm not changing my major (again). yet. i've just been wondering.

in my d&c class we talked about aligning our will with the Lord's. i thought to myself, "i want to do that! i want to know that my life is 100% in line with what the Lord wants me to do." ever since i was 14 i've known i wanted to be something in the medical. 9th grade- paramedic. 10th grade- ER doctor. 11th grade- heart surgeon 12th- NICU doctor. now my goal is to be a PA (physician's assistant) working somewhere with children- pediatric oncology or maybe the NICU. however, i've been thinking and wondering: what if this isn't what i'm supposed to do? that kind of freaks me out because for 6 years i've planned on doing something medical. it's my dream. and i don't like giving up on dreams. i feel like if i don't do PA school it will make me somehow less accomplished,  not as smart, etc.
some people get huge spiritual manifestations or confirmations that their career choice is the one for them. others, have to pave their own path and wait to see if it turns out. if it does- then it's right. if it doesn't- time to start over. i think i'm a second type. it's frustrating sometimes. [geez, wouldn't it be easy if every time you had to make a life changing decision you got the answer clearly? yes, you should be an exercise science major. you should not go to that university. this is the man you are supposed to marry in the temple. no, you are not needed to go on a mission. yes, you should move to this apartment complex.] most of my life i've just gone with the flow. i do what feels right at the time and then watch to see if God puts any stumbling blocks or walls up in my way. if he does, then maybe it isn't right. or sometimes i just get a feeling like something isn't right and i need to change.
anyways....
back to real life.
in school i feel alright. i am working way hard and i am improving in areas that have been rough for me (ahem, genetics and physiology). i love my classes for my major and am learning so much! also, i can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. i will graduate next year! either april or august, i'm not sure yet. so, if i do decide that i need to change my career path, well that will set me back quite a bit. but if it's what i'm supposed to do i will do it.

since this post is already novel-esque, i will wrap up. but not before i tell you what i've been thinking about while sitting here is this twirly chair.

- i bought a Jimmer shirt (this is not a normally crazy thing to do, but i probably should save the $10 i spent for Africa. psh Jimmer only happens once in a lifetime right?)
- why couldn't i breathe during the entire devotional today? sometimes i had to consciously remind myself "beka, breathe in. now, breathe out." this is not a normal occurrence and although most people might not find it pleasant, i would not mind being in that exact situation again. sometimes being breathless is good.
- i want my husband and me to be one of the cute old couples. the ones who you see decked out at every BYU game (even though we are 90). the ones who still hold hands and kiss- in public. the ones who wear outrageously awesome out of style clothing. the ones who buy a mustang because, heck, we're old and we don't care. the ones who give treats to all the neighborhood children because we just love them.
- man am i glad for the five girls who lived with my in E Richard 2110 in the not-too-distant-past. they are gems.
- i keep feeling like there is something missing in my life. i am not quite sure what though.
- my thoughts while watching the weather pass by through the glass double doors: great, it's snowing again. its just so ironic that the day after spring "arrives" it gets all cold and stormy. a bajillion times more ironic since i just got a bike and have a hankering for a nice afternoon in a skirt and sandals. 5 min later... it's sunny! hooray! my walk home today will be exponentially better than my walk here. i looooove the sun. 5 min later.... what the? its like blizzarding outside. i feel sorry for any **poor fellow who is driving, all alone, to salt lake right now. and freak, it's march. did mother nature not get the memo? you get the idea. i hate utah weather. can't spring, simply be spring? (sorry KJ for ranting about the weather. but after living here for 21 years i feel i have the right.)
- why am i constantly thirsty? i think i have diabetes. nope, i have no hypochondriac tendencies at all.
- i think i'm gonna take these khakis home and try out the tucked-in-shirt style that is apparently en vogue this spring.
- sometimes i think about how brandon called me "hipster" and i laugh inside. i mean who uses the word "hipster" these days?
- i wish people would e-mail more. facebook is taking over the world!!! (i've even heard of people making profiles for their pets. their pets.)
- Africa is like a month and a half away. and i still have so much to do! however, the excitement is overpowering the stress.



yeeeeah i think that's all for today folks. [don't worry about me and the state of my brain. i've had 2 people in the past 24 hours ask me if i was ok or if something was up. nope i'm fine. i'm still feeling like i was friday and i have four tests next week. so i might be a little distracted and stressed. but life is great!]

i'm leaving on a jet plane...

on May 4th! yup people my flight is booked. to Africa. this is fur realz. that is exactly 2 months (60 days) from this very day. frrrrreaky. but so terribly exciting. i have butterflies right now. so here's the deal. i still need $900 to pay for my trip and flight. so, before you do anything i encourage you to wander over to HELP and read a little about the organization. or to read about it is my own words go here, here, here, and here. if you get so excited about HELP after reading about it [most people get overly excited] go ahead and donate through the "donate" button on their website. but if you want to get something out of donating to my trip then consider this. do you (or any of the lovely women in your life) like cute hair accessories? check this out:

all items comes in a variety of colors and can be made to order.

headbands: $15 each (or $13 if you provide your own yarn)

knit flowers: $4 each

silk flowers: large- $8 each, small- $4 each
if interested, e-mail: beka.arnesen08@gmail.com

moment of truth: i am begging you to help me. this is no longer a nice little ad. even if you are a poor college student you can afford $5 to give to a charity that is truly worth you money! so please, don't give me your crap about wanting to help. [pardon my use of words.] so often we watch the news, read the newspaper, etc. and say "i wish there was some way i could help these people. but i don't know how i can." news flash: this is a perfect way to help! so whether you have "rich man's guilt", you truly are interested in the endeavor's of HELP International, or you just want a sweet headband/flower, take a second or two to donate! and then, hop on over to my blog which will soon be chronicling my trip to Uganda and feel free to read about my adventures as they happen!

UPDATE: if you are interested in any of the above products please e-mail me at beka.arnesen08@gmail.com
have a wonderful weekend!!! lovessss

Headbands to HELP kids in Africa

think this knit headband is cute?

as you {hopefully} have read before on my blog, I have the terrific opportunity to travel to Uganda, Africa this summer with an organization called HELP International. I will be doing humanitarian work and helping the Ugandan people improve their life. this is my dream!!! I hope to work in a clinic in the city of Mukono, but I also want to help teach english and work in the orphanages. i have to fund raise all the money to get me over to Africa. and I need your help! my mom is knitting these cute headbands and selling them to help me pay my way. there is an assortment of colors and I think they are stinking adorable! they are $15 or $12 if you give her 2 skeins of yarn.
if you don't want a headband you can still donate! go to http://www.help-international.org/donate-now and enter my name (Rebekah Arnesen) in the comment line.
to buy a headband contact me by commenting or e-mail me at beka.arnesen08@gmail.com
remember: by helping me, you are helping some kids like these!

day 18. dreams/goals/plans you have.

i feel like this is very appropriate to write about at the start of a new semester. so here goes. some of these may or may not (i.e. the dreams) be realistic.

dreams
- go to Disneyland
- go on lots of fun dates with cute guys (ha ha ha)
- play the guitar in front of an audience
- learn a t. swift song on the guitar
- make an apron
- make my hair look cute with its natural curl



goals
- become a more charitable person
- get good grades
- run 4 or 5 times a week
- get in shape for rugby
- prepare for Uganda
- fulfill my calling
- be fearless
- go to the temple once a month





plans
- go on a road trip (or two?)
- run a few races
- throw multiple parties at the Party Pad
- strengthen my testimony
- serve others
- make many good friends and continue old friendships
- write one of my missionary friends each week

day 13. a letter to someone.

(because i'm not feeling creative enough today)

Dear You,

Whoever you are, I'm the girl of your dreams. I am real, even as you are real, and I dream about you. I look for you wherever I go...in moments of music and laughing and dancing...at school, at church, or just walking down the street, looking into faces that pass me by, wondering if you are there.

One day you will come out of the world into my sight and I shall know that you are for me, and there shall never be another. To find you will be finding eternal friendship and love...a feeling of togetherness, and we shall never be alone again. I dream of your strength, of your wisdom, of your kindness, of your courtesy, good humor, and optimism. I dream of the man you will be. You are choosing today the bread I shall eat, the walls that will shelter me, my position and place in life and in eternity. My crown will come to me only through your priesthood. What you are doing in preparation for the future, will determine my future too.

The bodies of our children, which I shall proudly bear, are part of you even as they are part of me too. We must become one, before they can be.

What you are in part you shall become. Be fine, honorable, wise, for me...for them. I will be chaste for you. You be chaste for me. I will be beautiful and clean in body and spirit and accomplishment for you. I will save all that is sacred and best for you. This same thing, I want from you.

On that holy day when we shall wed, I shall wear white, truthfully I shall kneel with you at the temple altar in the presence of God, angels and all witnesses. Honestly I shall accept the ring joyously. I shall kiss your lips purely. I shall bring you untouched, my virginity, that we may discover all the glory together as man and wife, priest and priestess.

Wait for me. it may be years before we find each other, but oh, I want you. I want no other. I believe I knew and loved you in the pre-existent life, and that you loved me too. That our lives were promised in priesthood covenant to each other. All night when I kneel to pray, I pray to find you. I pray with all my young love's beauty, hope, desire, and faith. May you be blessed, may you be guided and protected until we safely find each other.

This earth is wide. The roads wind every which way upon its surface. But God will bring us face to face sometimes, somewhere...Let us live for this blessing. Dear you. Whoever you are, wherever you are, I'm the girl...and I do love you...I am waiting patiently for you! Please wait...and prepare yourself for me too.

xo me.

day 9. something you are proud of in the last few days.

so i was thinking about what i was proud of accomplishing in the last few days. eating a lot of sweets? no. getting up an hour later than usual Christmas morning (i.e. 6:30)? not terribly. only crying twice when i talked to my brother/best friend who is on his mission? no. falling asleep successfully in a car, for the first time ever? nope.
my mind was blank. until i remembered this little gem.

have you ever seen Kid History? Jon and Randy are my heroes/role models and are probably the most famous people in Utah county right now. well, on Christmas Eve my fam-damily took the annual trip to Seven Peaks Ice Skating Rink. gettin' our skate on. we all look pretty pro now that spencer isn't here to show us how bad we really are. anyways, i am just skating along, being my usual creeper self, when i spot... it can't be! is it? YES it is Jon! I about fall over, I am so excited. After finding hyrum (my accomplice) and stalking Jon for approximately 20 minutes, we get up the guts to talk to him. then we notice that Randy is with him! joy and rapture. so we talked to them. they are cool. and we got our picture with them. we are famous!
aren't you jealous?

i am proud that i did this because sometimes i don't go out of my bubble and then i regret it. now i have this great memory. and i met some famous people :)

this is the worldly side of me steppin in for a quick chat...

I guess we can say that this is a "realistic" Christmas list. What I really want.... well I don't think even Santa is that magical. Some of these are unrealistic (like the harem pants or that blazer- they were very expensive). But, hey, I figured, that if I'm dreaming, I might as well dream big. I feel like this expresses me very well. Sporty- gear for swimming, running and rugby. Fashion- bomber jacket, cardigans, harem pants, blazer, skinny pants, Toms and boots. Hobbies- photography, music, health. Favorite place- Disneyland. The mistletoe is symbolic of unrealistic wishing. Something that a really want is a letter, just for me, from my brother in Finland.


Christmas is 5 days away folks so I guess we'll see how my list does.
Christmas 2010 by rarnesen featuring sporting shoes

when i'm done with finals...

i will take a nap
maybe sleep in
start to have a social life
make amends with a friend
read read read!
go running every day
wrap christmas presents
wash my hair more than once a week
stop feeling guilty whenever i get on blogger or facebook
write my brother a real letter
send out fund raising letters
laugh more
maybe it will snow
have some extra money from textbook sell-back
go on a mini shopping spree
prepare for next semester
do something crazy
dread the inevitable 4-5 months of winter ahead
snuggle in a blanket by a woodburning stove
go snowmobiling
cheer on my cougars
eat healthier
did i already mention sleep?

kia kaha

you may laugh, as many have, but i desperately want to play this game.

maybe i just need to get rid of those extra emotions running through me right now, but i think that if i don't play this i might die.

rugby? i vote yes.

should i try it out??

jump!

Might as well JUMP!

why?

I'M GOING TO AFRICA THIS SUMMER!!!!!!

i'm just a little excited.

how did this occur? well, last week i applied at HELP International to be a volunteer for their Summer 2011 trip to Africa- Uganda. On Monday I interviewed with them. Then... i waited. waiting stinks. But I only had to wait until Thursday.

I got the acceptance e-mail while "working on physics" in the Clyde step down. I wanted to scream for joy and go hug the nearest person. but as we all know, most engineers are quite anti-social and would probably look at me like i was a crazy. So. I screamed on the inside while frantically texting my family. joy. rapture. miraculous!
called my grandparents (who served a mission in Nigeria about 12 years ago). they are thrilled- and jealous. i told my grandma she should just come along. seriously! they are great.

here's how it's all gonna go down. i'll be going to Mukono, Uganda in May- I think. I think I'll be there until August. I have a financial planning session on Monday where I will also pay the deposit. It's a ton of money to pay (the whole program is $2750 plus the flight). I'm scared for that. but i feel like this is what the Lord wants me to do. He will help me. and my sister. she is going to help me fund raise because she is basically pro at it. thank you sister! i have to get tons of vaccines! I read the CDC list of vaccinations i need and its huge! thank goodness i'm not scared of needles! i gotta be careful to make sure i don't get leishmania or malaria while i'm there, since there is no vaccine for those! i also have to get a passport. my first time out of the country! (sorry friends, canada doesn't count.) i need to get a flight to uganda! phew are they expensive! but i found some on the cheap side- $1800. ha. i have to get legal documents. tons of stuff.

guess i should make a check list

anyways there is THE NEWS. thanks for tuning in!
i will be in this country in approximately 5.5 months

p.s. other glorious happenings of this week:
BYU beat USU in basketball
BYU 121st ballers dominated at their game and advanced to final 2
harry potter 7 special preview showing with the best friend
great running with ALG

who am i?

setbacks are merely things to make us stronger. i did poorly on a test- one that i had spent hours and hours prepping for. i don't know for sure that i failed it, so i can't say i did. besides all i want is a B or better on the test.

but walking out of the testing center i felt like a failure. the blustery day was not angry enough to match my feelings. this is the second time i've taken this class! you'd think i'd be feeling better about this test! you'd think i wouldn't have lost a staring contest with an impossibly frustrating problem! but i did. no matter that i have done exceptionally well on all the homework, i've done well on the in class quizzes, and i have learned a lot. that was not on my mind. in the hours after my test i merely focused on all the negative emotions that i could.

sadness. frustration. anger. despair.
it's so easy to give in to doubts and fear. to feel like you aren't smart enough. aren't athletic enough. aren't pretty enough. aren't spiritual enough. whatever. i do it all the time.

and it's a horrible habit.

i realized a few things today: God does not make mistakes!

What is true success? Is it making the A grade or becoming a more humble person because you have to work and give God a chance to change you?

Failure is a state of mind.

Don't ever let pessimism take away your dreams. Hold on to them.
Dreams are what reality is made of.

I may not have aced my first physics midterm. but the world is not over. I have many strengths. I don't even care if i'm good at physics. psh. i know i am a good person. and a good student. i will make my dreams come true.

small failures will not be a stumbling block, but instead a catalyst to make me work harder and become a better person!

food, movies, and fireworks

today i had a friend tell me that she missed reading my blog and i hadn't posted in forever. let me catch you up on my life as of late....

a few weeks ago my family went to our friend's home to eat a Finnish dinner and learn more about that country because that is where Spencer is going on his mission! it was a great experience! Finland is a very beautiful country and the food is so good too! the only downside is that when it's winter- its dark 100% of the time! This dinner got Spencer really excited to go and told him more of what to expect.
last sunday i was called to be 2nd counselor in the YSA ward Relief Society. i was super nervous when i first got the call because i feel like it's a huge responsibility! getting set apart was a good experience and i feel better about the calling even though i have no idea what i'm doing.

on june 29th/30th i went to my first midnight movie- except it was at 2:35 am. same diff. i went to see ECLIPSE! AH! so amazing! I went with my great friend Shaunzi and her friends from Logan. they were hilarious! the movie was so so good, even though i was super tired. after the movie got out (at around 4:30) shaunz and i went to ihop for breakfast. i was starving! i really liked the movie, but i don't think i'll be going to many more midnight movies...
yesterday Spencer and I got to sing in the Stadium of Fire Choir! It was a really busy thing and took a lot of time, but it was worth it! when Carrie Underwood sang the national anthem I was literally 4 feet away from her! I could have touched her! I almost had an aneurysm. no joke. she sang all my favorite songs. seeing Carrie was a dream come true! it was awesome to sing patriotic songs while fireworks were going off. what an experience!
so that's my life. i'm so busy with work, running, church and family stuff! July is going to be an eventful month! so stay tuned for more posts...

if you give a mouse a cookie

life is stressful. did anyone tell you that? tonight my mom talked to us kids about budgeting money- so we wouldn't be in a mess when we get older. that got me thinking...
i need to be a better budgeter

this made me think about school which make me think that WHOA i'm going to be a junior- in college. pretty sure one day i was walking around high school worrying about being popular and getting asked to homecoming and then today i'm preparing to graduate from BYU and apply to Physician's Assistant school!

weird.

so i made my graduation plan. it gave me a bit of anxiety because there are so many stinkin hard classes that i have yet to take! it is not going to get easier people, unless i miraculously get smarter which is highly unlikely. i should graduate in December 2012 or August 2012 (if i take spring and summer classes).

all this planning made me think about something else. the "m" word. Marraige.

marraige can change so many things. like how many credits you take because you have to work more. or if you are even able to take classes for a semester because you are planning the wedding. or where you go to PA school. or if you even go to PA school.
i don't think that just because i get married that i should completely stop my education after getting my BS. i think i should be able to continue and fulfill my dreams of doing medical work. right?
but whatever the Lord says I should do, I will do. I have to remember to trust in the Lord! No matter what is happening or how hard my semester looks.

as long as i am following God's plan for me I'll be happy. I hope I can accept His plan with faith.

Hero

Dear Chad,

You probably have no idea who I am. Ok so we were friends on facebook, but we both know that facebook tends to be a bit superficial. I was in choir with you senior year. Well, at least for the time you were there. I just wanted to let you know- you are my hero.

Let's just say I admired you from afar. When you came back to school and joined A Capella I watched you. I'm not some creep stalker, but I saw your strength and your positive attitude. And I was inspired.

You were named Most Likely to Change the World by the Utah Valley Magazine. I cut out the article and read your dreams- how you would change the world.

After graduation, I forgot about you. I focused inward, on myself. But sometimes I would pull out your article from UV Magazine and read it and hope you were doing great. I knew you were strong and I hoped that you were fulfilling your dreams.

I cried when I found out that you passed away. At your funeral it became official- you were a hero to me. I am in awe of your positive attitude during sickness, your testimony, your love for your family and your desire to share the Gospel.

Chad, you may not have changed the world in a large and significant way- at least not the way people measure success. But you changed my life! You remind me to be thankful for everything I have and to live life to the fullest. I hope that as I try to make my dreams come true that I remember you, your life and your example.

Thank you, for being my hero.

Sincerely,

Rebekah Arnesen

woman of god

tonight i had the privilege of serving emeritus general authorities dinner at BYU. cool, right? i don't usually find work so awesome.

whilst there i observed and thought.

sister susan tanner was there. she is the wife of president tanner- vice president of BYU. ok, first of all, i think she is probably of the most beautiful women ever. (i think that she told this story).... when she was in high school, she was very down on herself. her mom told her that after she walked out the door in the morning, she should forget about herself and only think about others. well, i think all her unselfishness and kindness has made her one of the most beautiful women alive. prettier than jessica alba and kate moss. definitely more beautiful that anyone on people magazine's list of sexiest women. it occurred to be that sister tanner is a woman of god. she serves Him with her whole heart. she is charitable, faithful, obedient. she stands for truth and righteousness. i want to be like her.