Sunday, November 11, 2012

When We Meet Again

Today was the first time in about two months that I was able to attend church. However, I did not attend my own ward. I went to a Missionary Homecoming for a friend. For the past two years he has been in Nicaragua serving an LDS mission. I met him my sophomore year when I was a wrestling manager for the high school team. I don't remember how it happened, but we befriended each other. Through the short span of time that I knew him before he left on his mission, he set a wonderful example to me. One of the examples that was most prominent was to stand for what you believe regardless of the circumstance that you are in. Don't change just because the people around you do. After he left, I had two more years of high school and wrestling to complete and to decide for myself if I would live what I believe. Even if I was in an atmosphere where everyone swears, or is crude. I'm grateful for the example that was shown to me because I was able to remember what image I wanted to portray to my peers.
I was able to go to the Homecoming with one of my closest friends, Kylie Christopherson. I absolutely adore her! We grew up in the same ward together and she just, gets me. I am so grateful that we are able to still get together even though we haven't seen each other for months. Nothing in our friendship has changed, and I love that. Why don't ya'll just see how much we have changed! Hopefully she doesn't mind too much that I uploaded these :)






Going back to the title of this post, I feel that when we move on in life that we shouldn't say "goodbye" and think that it is the end. It is merely a "See you later". This is true for both sending a friend on a mission, or moving away to college.
I just want to also give ya'll a short update on my life as a whole. I did end up giving Cracker Barrel my two weeks notice and will be done the day before Thanksgiving. So grateful. I will hopefully be able to get a job as an orientation leader, and if not I will keep looking for jobs. I am hoping that I can find an opening in a physical therapy clinic and gain some experience. It will be good. Also, Kaden's high school football team is going to the state championships!!!! I am so excited and so proud of what Kaden has accomplished!!

























This one with brody is just for fun... :) Utes suck ;)

Well, after a fun weekend with the family and seeing a few old friends, I am so grateful for the gift of fast transportation. I do have to go back to Orem tonight and back to college life tomorrow. I am so very grateful for the gospel and how it influences my life and decisions I make. I am so blessed to have the knowledge that families can be together forever through the ordinances of our church. I am so excited to see where my life map goes and to see what is in my future and what my Heavenly Father has in store for me. I am grateful for loving parents that support me in all that I do and that are always there for me. But most importantly, I am most grateful today for the gift of friendship. Well, I have a paper to write that I am trying to stall away from. I will post later!!
Stay Classy

GO, FIGHT, UVU!!
-Linsey 

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Decisions on a Sunday

About a month ago, I got a job at Cracker Barrel. I began as a server and absolutely hated it. Serving isn't for everyone. After a few days of serving and repeatedly having horrible days, I decided to go and quite. When I went, the general manager asked me if I would be interested in working in retail instead. I took him up on his offer and was hired as a retail employee a week later. I knew that I would have to work some Sundays in order to keep the job, but I didn't quite know what I had gotten myself into. I haven't gone to church in who knows how long because of work. Hopefully I will have this coming Sunday off so that I can go to a friend's homecoming.
Today at work, I asked if there is any way that I can work before or after my church meetings, and I was told that I have to keep my whole day open and I can't request times that I can't work. As I tried to choke back the emotions that flooded forward, I had to make a decision. Work or church? Why couldn't I have both? I need to work to pay for my education, but I know that in order to truly live the gospel of Christ, I need to make sure I am attending my church meetings. As I stood in the bathroom stall wiping the tears from my cheeks, I decided that it was now time to look for a new job. As much as I love the people I work with, I need to do all I can to attend church.
Now I knew why I have been so irritable and sad lately. When I was living with my parents, I didn't really have a choice to go to church or not. I had to go. Now that I am on my own, I have to make decisions. For the first few weeks, I didn't go to church because I "didn't want to". I know now that it was the adversary getting at me and tempting me to do things I normally wouldn't. Because I haven't gone to church for a while, I realize how important it really is!
This week I will be working harder than ever to find a new job closer, and willing to work with my religious request. I know that once I begin doing what is right, everything will work out and fall perfectly into place. Just like moving here.
I know that the gospel of Christ is true! I am proud to say that I strive to live it everyday! Even though I know that Satan is tempting me more than ever now, I can and will remain strong and be the same person here that I was back home. I am grateful for roommates that share the same beliefs that I do and that we are able to talk about gospel principles. I am so very thankful for my family and the knowledge that I have of eternity and how I will be able to be with them forever. I am so grateful for the atonement and that we are able to repent of ills that we have done in the past. I am so very thankful for the many wonderful examples of strong women in my life. These women include my own mother, my grandmother Allen, and even though she may no longer be on earth, my grandmother Petersen. I am so happy that I have them in my life and that I can learn from their examples. I've never felt so lonely in my life, until now that I live away in a place I've never known before; but I am comforted to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who loves and watches over me everyday. As hard as it may seem to believe some days, I know that he will never fail me and that he always has his arms stretched out towards me. I am grateful for the power of prayer and the comfort it gives. I am grateful for the testimonies of my family and friends and the strength that they give me each day. Most of all, one of the hardest principles and grasp but one of the most important to remember, I KNOW that I am a daughter of God and that I AM special.

Enjoy the rest of your Sunday and the rest of the week. Hope you like the pictures I took on temple square. Loves!
-Linsey












Between the Lines

                                                             "Between The Lines"
                                                                   Sara Bareilles
Time to tell me the truth
To burden your mouth for what you say
No pieces of paper in the way
Cause i cant continue pretending to choose
These opposite sides on which we fall
The loving you laters if at all
No right minds could wrong be this many times

My memory is cruel
I'm queen of attention to details
Defending intentions if he fails
Until now, he told me her name
It sounded familiar in a way
I could have sworn i'd heard him say it ten thousand times
If only i had been listening

Leave unsaid unspoken
Eyes wide shut unopened
You and me
Always between the lines
Between the lines

I thought i thought i was ready to bleed
That we'd move from the shadows on the wall
And stand in the center of it all
Too late two choices to stay or to leave
Mine was so easy to uncover
He'd already left with the other
So i've learned to listen through silence

Leave unsaid unspoken
Eyes wide shut unopened
You and me be
You and me always be

I tell myself all the words he surely meant to say
I'll talk until the conversation doesn't stay on
Wait for me i'm almost ready
When he meant let go

Leave unsaid unspoken
Eyes wide shut unopened
You and me
Always be
You and me
Always between the lines

This song is the inspiration for the name of my blog. I've tried numerous times to start one, but I never really knew what I should write about. Until tonight. I read one of my close friend's blog and decided that I need to begin one. For myself, and for anyone that might want to hear what I have to say or want to catch up with my life. I feel that at certain times we need to learn to hold our tongue  but at other times, we also need to know when is the appropriate time to speak. Kind of like Taylor Swift's song Speak Now, or forever hold your peace. But we aren't talking about in that fashion. I'm talking about speaking up when you feel something but you feel to passionately about it to put into words. Like the time to say "I love you or I miss you" and any other things you regretted saying. So this blog is for anyone who feels like they live their lives between the lines. It's time to discover ourselves. 
I am currently attending school at Utah Valley University. I am a freshman, busy, and single. I have five roommates whom I adore (even though we have our share of disagreements). I am studying Exercise Science and I hope to graduate by the summer of 2014 with a bachelors degree. I am also the photographer for the Athletic Department, I am the program director over the Saturday of Service, and I work part time at Cracker Barrel. I am pretty dang busy. Hopefully I will have some time next semester to begin dating again and to make a few more friends. 
This is my best friend Morgan Lamoreaux. We have been friends ever since I can remember. As of right now, we are separated by an hour and a halfs worth of driving. She is attending Snow College in Ephraim. I honestly don't know where I would be without her. 

This is my cute "younger" brother. He is two years younger than me and plays varsity football for Syracuse High School. He is also my very best friend. Living away from him has been extremely hard and I miss talking to him every day. 
I think one of the very best ways to get to know someone is by looking at their pictures. So, I guess I will upload some for you guys. So, until next time! 
-Linsey