SLIDE!

I've been feeling really nostalgic lately.

So, I planned a roommate reunion up at USU for last week.

SO MUCH FUN! Here is a picture of all the original roommates at our reunion.


Anyway...why is this about the media? Well, the night before the reunion I was driving home in my car from book club. The song, "Slide" by the Goo Goo Dolls came on the radio. I was already in roommate mode, as I was thinking of the reunion the next day. Immediately I was transported almost 10 years back in time to my freshman year at college. Well, me and one of my roommates Lesley stayed up ALL night talking. Around 3:00 in the morning we thought it would be really cool to make up a dance to you guessed it...Slide. We called it the "Happy Dance", and taught it to all our roommates the next morning.

Please don't judge. You all did very random and stupid things when you were freshmen too. Oh, you gotta love freshmen!

Anyway, as the song came on, I realized that I could recall almost the entire "happy dance", even though I haven't thought about it for YEARS. Isn't it amazing how a song has the power to transport you back in time? I think music has a unique effect in bringing strong memories to the surface.

And no... I know you want to see, but I'm afraid I won't be performing the happy dance in class this year. I know you are disappointed, but somehow you'll survive! :)

Thank you facebook...

I had this friend, who I was friends with from elementary school through high school. Great guy, went on a mission, I even had a little crush on him during middle school.

Well, thanks to facebook, I found out that my good friend Ben, recently had a sex change and is now called Brianna!!! CRAZY! And the super weird thing, is that he was married before, with two kids: and his wife stayed with him! They are now in a lesbian relationship!

This ranks right up there with the boy I went on my first date with. He sang Celine Dion in my ear and I pretty much wanted to kill myself. Anyway, facebook informs me that he is now married to his boyfriend and lives in California! Score another one for me! And facebook of course, for always keeping me updated with this important information! :)

How did you gain your testimony of Joseph Smith?

This was the question posed to our Sunday School class yesterday.

As I was pondering this question, I realized that the media has had a pivitol role in my testimony.

The first time I remember really KNOWING, was when I was asked to play a piano number for sacrament meeting. I was around 11 years old. I chose an arrangement of one of my favorite hymns, Praise to the Man. I remember as I was playing during sacrament meeting, I was thinking the lyrics in my mind. And it hit me: I really did believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

Time two: I was a Beehive, and the film Legacy came out at the Joseph Smith Memorial building. As I watched, the Spirit witnessed to me that Joseph was a prophet and that he DID see God. I couldn't stop crying as this thought resonated through me.

Time three: At age 18, I was reading the Work and the Glory. A fictional book, I know, but it really captured me. I thought a lot about Joseph Smith and his story, and how fantastical it must sound to those who hear it for the first time. I went back and read Joseph's own account of the First Vision. And again, I realized that I believed, no matter how fantastical it sounds.



I do believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that HE did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. He went through so much to help restore the gospel on the earth, and I can't wait to meet him someday. The Spirit can and does speak to us through the media and I am so grateful for these early experiences that helped cement my testimony of this prophet of the Lord.

The day...the music died.

The music in our ward is seriously lacking. We rarely have musical items and our ward choir at today's count was about 5 (including all three bishopric members who came!!) The ward music director pleaded for someone to sing a solo in the next few weeks. Silence. Crickets chirping. You get the idea.

I love to sing, and I love music, but I have what I would call a "choir voice". I was in the top choir in high school and can definitely hold my part, but singing a solo terrifies me. I've sang duets by the dozens, trios by the trillions (okay, not really, but the alliteration was just so nice there). I don't bat an eyelid at the thought of lecturing to a class of 400 students about sex according to Freud (sick!), but the thought of singing a solo leaves me paralyzed with fear. I've always wanted to, but am just way too scared.




But the silence (and the guilt) was driving me crazy. Plus those stupid crickets wouldn't stop chirping. So I volunteered.

But should I do it? I just lectured on the power of music, right?? Music can bring in the spirit, lift our emotions, change lives, yadda yadda yadda. But when it's me I'm talking about, I'm like, "let's just sing another intermediate hymn". I don't know....what do you guys think? Do I put myself out there, and get over this fear? Or do I back down, even though my pet peeve is people backing out of something once they've committed?

Media...you are not my friend this week! :(

THANK GOODNESS...

...it is Thursday night and Grey's Anatomy is on. After a looong day at work, sometimes you just need a night in with the TV and one large bowl of popcorn. SO SAD, but so true! Bring on my weekly fix starting in 30 minutes and counting!