Welcome 2014!

I love the feeling of a fresh new year! For some, I'm sure 2013 was a hard year, and for others it could have been the best year for them in a long time. Regardless, it's over, it's time to start anew. 

Photo From Justhappyquotes.com

I really don't like it when people mock the New Years Resolutions people make every year. Why would you make fun of people wanting to make their lives better, regardless if they follow through with it or not? Haven't we all thought to ourselves things we should do to make this or that change to better our lives? I know I have. 

 Don't mock those want to make their lives better by wanting to change bad habits, behaviors, etc. It's an honorable thing to do in my opinion.

This year is filled with so much excitement for Kyle and I! Kyle graduates from UVU this semester. It has been long anticipated! Years of scraping by, moving from place to place, all as an undergrad will soon be over. I am very proud of him. He has worked hard for this degree, to be able to better provide for me, and our children to come. Everyday I am reminded that I am married to an amazing man, that loves me and will do ANYTHING for me. I can only hope that I can match the love he gives me on a daily basis. 

Kyle and I will celebrate 3 years of marriage tomorrow. <3 For some reason it feels like we have been married longer. I am so grateful I am reminded daily that I married my best friend. 

Kyle will get a salary job, we will start a family, and start the rest of our lives! I am excited for all that lies in the year of 2014! I hope you have a great year and make goals for yourself, whether it is to go somewhere, to be physically fit, to better your lives in any way, do it! You can do it! You can do anything you set your mind to. That is not just a cliche, it is truth. 

God bless!

~Katie B.

What do you do when someone you love hurts you?

I have been pondering this topic heavily the last few days. I believe everyone crosses over this subject several times in their lives. Some quickly move on, others are haunted by it for the rest of their lives. What do we do when someone we are close to & whom we love dearly hurts us beyond our control? 

This is an age old question. The first thing that comes to my mind is forgiveness. Then I think, "But how?". Christ came on this earth, not only to bring about eternal life and give us the ability to live with our Heavenly Father again, but to also be our universal example on how to live our lives. But here is the secret, we will ALWAYS come up short. Always. That is the whole point. We have to strive and do everything in our limited power and ability to BE LIKE CHRIST. Once we do that, Christ will always take care of the rest. He will "pick up our slack". He will never fail us. 

My first "mortal" minded thought was anger. To stay angry. I still have those thoughts. I go back and forth constantly. Struggling between my natural instinctive thoughts of anger and deeply hurt feelings, and my spiritual "Be Like Christ" thoughts that have been placed into my heart and soul throughout my life. 

My Mom told me, that forgiveness is for the person that is forgiving and not the one being forgiven. 

I sat and thought about that for a second. It makes sense, because it is a burden lifted from your worn out shoulders that can only carry so much. 

I am only 21. But I feel like I have had to do a lot of self-evaluating, forgiving of others, and forgiving myself, especially the last 3 to 4 years. It's always the one's closest to you, that sometimes, you have the hardest time forgiving. Why is that? I'm not really sure. Maybe it is because you hold a standard of trust, or what have you, and when that is broken, it is life altering. It changes who you are permanently. Think about it, you go through a process of forgiveness between you and Christ. It causes you to re-evaluate things. It causes you to deeply think about who are you, who the person you are working on forgiving is, and how you choose to be effected by the circumstance. That is what life is all about. Growing up, changing into someone who you choose to be. 

We may not have a choice in who hurts us or what struggles we endure, but we in fact choose how we learn and react from them. 

I have to remind myself constantly of that. The Lord wants us to forgive those who wrong us, but I also believe we need to learn from those forgiving experiences. Meaning, don't put yourself in that position of vulnerability a second time, or third, or however long it takes to realize that. Never stop being kind, that is not what I am saying. But you have an obligation to protect yourself from hurtful feelings and wrongdoings to the best of your ability. 

So back to the question, "What do you do when someone you love hurts you?" I think my answer is to turn to Christ, consistently. Ask him. Allow yourself time to heal. Allow him to be there with you along the way. That way when you are ready to forgive, you will be able to fully receive the blessings that forgiveness brings. 

With Love, 

~Katie B.  

Who Am I?

I feel like I learn something about myself after each trial, at the end of each semester, each religious experience, (attending church, serving others, going through trials, etc).

I feel like I have changed immensely these last two years. Every trial I have gone through, I KNOW has made me stronger, for my personal benefit, for my marriage, and for friends and family.

Kyle and I went to his academic advisement appointment last week. We were both very nervous because with us, it is always something, whether it is self inflicted or just completely out of the blue. We have been through some doosies let me tell you! His former advisor has been promoted to another position within the University, so he had a brand new advisor. So you can understand our worries!

We went in there nervous, and came out on cloud 9. She gave Kyle the green light to graduate at the end of Spring Semester 2014. We didn't say anything to each other at first, soaking in the information we just received. We went out to lunch afterwards and I had a few thoughts come into my mind:

When we came to Utah, my thoughts and feelings were "I just need to get away" mostly in regards to my family. I needed my space and needed to find my footing of who I was, who WE were as husband and wife, as a family. I came to realize that my family is what I missed the most while out here in the West. I love BYU, I love UVU, I love the historical value and beauty of Utah. The history of the saints, their struggles, their triumphs. It gives me a perspective of how I should live my life, how I should treat the luxuries of the Book of Mormon, Institute, Freedom of Religion, something the saints died for, with respect and not take them for granted.

I said, "Kyle, I feel like we have been through so much, all BEFORE you got your Bachelors degree. I feel like we have taken a path that will make us stronger, not only as future parents, but as children of God. I feel like we have grown and matured a lot. I'm not saying we were immature but there was plenty of room to grow. I've learned that I want my children to have what I had growing up. Close knit aunts and uncles, cousins on both sides. I want that so bad for our kids. I am willing to go to great lengths to make that happen. Family is #1 in our lives, and if we make that our first priority, the Lord will bless us with the things we have long fought for. A job, stability and a beautiful family."

Who am I?
I am a daughter of God. I am someone that is loyal, and a very hard worker. I am willing to do what it takes to get the job done, whatever the costs. I believe in being kind to others, going out of my way to help others in need, whether they want to receive it or not. I believe being "moderate" is a very bad way to be. I believe in standing up for what I believe in whether I am  liked or not. I believe in not being passive.

I KNOW my Redeemer lives, and His Gospel is alive and well on this earth. I KNOW marriage is divinely inspired by the Lord Himself, and I cherish it. I am a strong woman, a strong daughter of God. I KNOW all life on this earth is cherished and should be treated as such.

I look forward to a new chapter in my life. I look forward to Kyle graduating, and him moving on and providing for our family. I appreciate the people rooting for me AND against me in my journey because both helped me to keep going.

Don't allow yourself to get caught up in today's afflictions. I know I have been allowing myself to do that the last few days. I need to "shake it off" and move on. Stand out, stand for the ways of the Gospel. Stand for something, for righteousness.

“Our safety lies in the virtue of our lives. Our strength lies in our righteousness. God has made it clear that if we will not forsake Him, He will not forsake us.”

-Gordon B. Hinckley

~Katie B.

Fall Semester 2013. Home stretch!

I haven't done an "update" post in a while. I thought I'd let my readers know what's going on in my life.

It's mid September and I can smell the fall coming! I am working this semester, the first time since I left Texas over a year ago. It was an adjustment at first, getting up at the crack of dawn, then going to straight to school, but I adjusted eventually.

My favorite part about living in Utah is definitly the fall season! The hot cocoa, the GORGEOUS color change, the mountains in a fall sunset. Being from Texas, the change of color went from green to dead. That's about as gorgeous as it gets. If there is color change, like ACTUAL color change, it doesn't last that long. In Utah it lasts for at least a month, and the color change on the mountain side is a beautiful sight to see!

This semester, I am taking Principles of Animation (such a fun class), Web Essentials, Intro to Technology and Digital Motion Picture Essentials. At the end of this semester, my Technology class will provide me my third science, and I will obtain my Associates of Science Degree. I'm pretty excited. Something to show that I'm halfway down in my arduous major. My major is fun here at UVU, but they are probably about 25 credits more than the average Bachelors Degree because of my Video Gaming concentration. I was going to transfer to BYU, but now that I fell in love with this major, and no where else has it, I just can't seem to part ways with it. It's still up in the air. I feel like the Lord wants me doing this. I was very torn coming into the fall semester, I was taking family classes to prepare for my BYU transfer, but something didn't feel right, so I switched them all back to my Digital Media: Gaming and Animation classes. Time will tell. *Deep Breath* It'll be okay!

I really like my job. It's a very "get in the groove" kind of job, and a lot of responsibilities are on me, which I like, because It allows me to strive to be better each day.

Kyle is almost done! Thank the Lord! He is on his last year. I'm so ready for him to be done I can't even tell you! I'm ready to move on with our lives, at least for him to start making some good money, rather than living from semester to semester. BUT, on the bright side of these few years of struggle, we grew a lot. I mean, a lot. We have grown so much from the time of our first kiss, to our "I do's" to now. We talk about it sometimes, how we've grown and what exactly made us grow up. We talk about our future on a daily basis, from kids, their upbringing, how we want to parent, their education, our finances, where we want to be and what it will take to get there. It's what keeps us going to be honest.

The things I feel like I've improved on is reading our scriptures together. I LOVE reading them with him, because we discuss what we just read, and I feel like I have such a better understanding of the stories and morals being taught to me.

Kyle is doing an internship with the Utah Grizzlies Hockey Team as their Public Relations/Marketing Manger. What a wonderful blessing. It opens doors for the day he graduates and he is doing everything he can to get his foot in the door come graduation day. I'm very blessed to be married to him. Sometimes it gets hard to keep going, but he always reminds me of the great things we have done and the great thing that are in store for us.

And of course BYU Football!! The season has been throwing us around already and we've only played 2 games! The season opener loss to Virgina was a tough one. It depressed me to be honest with you. Going into the Texas game, I was nervous. I expected a loss. I really did. But when we came out and won, it was an amazing feeling! Words cannot describe how awesome of an experience that was for me! BYU will always be in my heart, forever! I'm a diehard, what can I say.

I am constantly being reminded, especially lately, that the Lord has a plan for us. That's not just a cliche, it's fact. The Lord has a path for you, and He knows what we are going to do before it even comes into our minds.We have to humbly keep this in mind. Always. Don't fixate your thoughts on the future to the point where you forget about the present. Go out of your way to help others have a good day. That's what makes MY day great, is when I have the opportunity to help others. If I died today, that's what I would want to be known for, is for helping others. Not for anything else. 

Thanks for your time readers! I hope you all have a great week! Until next time!

~Katie B.

"I Am A Champion And You're Gonna Hear Me Roar!"

Katy Perry released her new single a few weeks ago. I was anxiously waiting the night it was released, both nervous and excited for something new from one of my favorite artists of all time. "Roar" did not disappoint me. It is very inspiring and can apply to any situation!

I don't usually talk about this sort of stuff on this blog, but I just had too. Although Katy Perry and I can disagree on A LOT of things, I love her personality and the music she writes. It captivates me and just puts me in a really good mood. Our personalities are very similar as well, which explains a lot haha. 

How would you apply these lyrics? 

I apply them to school and also to society. Everything I stand for is something that society likes to degrade, or "knock me down". Marriage (especially at a young age), standing for Christ and His Gospel, society is going to hear me roar! And nothing can stop me! "You knocked me down, but I got up, already brushing off the dust.." 

"You hear my voice, you hear that sound. Like thunder, gonna shake the ground." Speak out for what you believe. Do not hide only because the truth is unpopular. Now is this what Katy Perry is saying in her lyrics? No probably not, but I'm taking words and relating them to a special, impowering meaning to me, which is also something YOU can do. 

Anyone that has followed up on her in the news, knows it's about Russel Brand-Ex Husband. 

But it's inspiring nonetheless! 

Speak out people, speak for your believes. Stand up for Christ and His Gospel. You are a champion, and let society hear you ROAR! 

"Don't Worry...Load The Wagon."

Earlier this week I just couldn't sleep. I was troubled by life's curveballs thrown at us earlier in the day and I just couldn't shake it. You want to know something I've noticed? When the 'bumps' in the road come our way, they're all at once. It's as if a bomb is dropped one after another, at least for me. 

My husband had already went to bed and I just could not shake the feeling of worry. 

I felt prompted to go find a talk or read scripture to calm my nerves, it's not like me to let things bother me into the night. I went to lds.org and searched "Worry" hoping to find something relevent. And I found this...http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/-dont-worryload-the-wagon?lang=eng&country=afe

A talk given by Elder Carl B. Cook about not letting anxiety get in the way of moving forward in faith. 

fmaonline.net

I read through this talk, jotting down quotes that stuck out at me, and begun to slowly calm down. I was still worried of the roadblocks put in my path, but there was one word that really stuck out to me. Action.

abundancetapestry.com

My mind was fixated on the word. Elder Cook emphasises the teachings of Joseph Smith regarding action and connecting it to the work of the Gospel and Christ's teachings. I felt comfort in this because I knew that I will exhaust all options in making things right and put forth effort to work out my troubles, that the Lord would take care of the rest. 

The title of this post (and the title of the talk) is titled after a phrase Elder Cook's Grandmother used to say. "Don't worry about the mules going blind...just load the wagon." He interpreted this into his own words. "Don't let your anxiety about the future stop you from moving forward in faith." Very well put Elder Cook. 

quiltersclubofamerica.com

 I have another challenge for my readers. If any of you read my previous posts, my "5 Ways To Be Happy" post last year, I talk about writing in a journal. How about having a separate journal for your spiritual thoughts? Weird I know, but hear me out. I have a journal for my general thoughts (spiritual as well) but I also have a small journal that I take to church with me, or when I read scriptures with my hubby. It helps gather your thoughts on what you just read or heard. It's a great tool to remember what you learned spiritually and it helps you grow. 

Thanks for tuning in to today's post! Until next time! 

~Katie B. 

The Gay Marriage Ruling and Abortion: Where government is God?

So many things to think about. So many things are going through my mind. I wanted to address these huge monumental decisions that have been made this past week. I will begin with acknowledging my heavy burdened heart. 

We all have opinions, and this blog is about mine. If any readers don't like my stance or views, I will not apologize. I commend any person for standing firm in their beliefs, regardless of political views and differences that we may have. Standing firm gives you respect in my book. Truthfully, there are very few people in my friends list that actually care and stay firm and not "go with the flow" and just do what's popular. I commend them for that. 

According to the constitution of the United States, us Christians have to stop and ask ourselves, why can't they be married. Anything where the government is involved turns corrupt and lacks moral standing. So this was just a matter of time in reality. On the other hand, politics used to be fighting for your moral standings and beliefs, not this "politically correct" nonsense that half the time doesn't make any sense. 

I put Christ and His gospel into my everyday life. Yes, even in my politics. You can say that's wrong, but I feel that it is right. This country was founded on christian beliefs and was only made possible by His grace and protection. We are the chosen country of this earth. I firmly believe that. Because I put Him in my everyday decisions, I was very saddened by the decision to throw out a major part of The Defense of Marriage Act. Like I said earlier though, it was bound to happen when government is involved in anything so divine. Marriage is a blessing provided by God Himself. Let's break down the institution of marriage. 

A man and woman, so different in every way shape and form, come together as one. Isn't that just beautiful? Two totally different people, of different minds, different bodies, different spirits come together. They are bound together by God (NOT the government....I wish) for and in all things. They come together body and soul and create another life out of their love for themselves, each other, and of God. Again, beautiful. Now, I know not all couples can have children, and yes it is sad. BUT with that being said, He will bless you and fulfill your life in other ways. A way that is different to every couple. 

This is something that I stand for, and will continue to do so into the eternities. I strongly believe that the definition of marriage was given by God and not the government. Now because we live in a world where our government oversteps their boundaries on a daily basis (not what our forefathers intended!!) of course it will be defined and change over time. Of course it will. It makes perfect sense. When we take God out of the picture, the everlasting foundation called "the truth" changes. 

What I don't understand from some christians is when they say "God hates gays" or things like that. That couldn't  be further from the truth. To be honest, that is horrible to say to anyone! I would never bully or be hateful to anyone. Everyone that knows me, knows that this is true. Standing up for what you believe in and being firm in your foundations is completely different then being hateful and spiteful and just plain nasty. 

Now on to the abortion segment.

Gosh, I don't even know where to start. It breaks my heart. It truly does. It is NOT a women's health issue. It really isn't, the "health" issue, is a rare occasion. I would go around saying "Abortion is NOT okay...EXCEPT....." Then I saw this 'analogy' that really made me stop and think. 

Do you think my older sister looked at her daughter as a "women's health right" or a "women's health issue" 

This is what people are viewing as "a burden" and denying life to many wonderful human beings. If this beautiful girl wasn't in my life I wouldn't know what to do! She is the closest thing I have to a child right now and Kyle and I enjoy just being with her every second we get! 

Here is a fact. People choose (mostly) to have sex. They make the choice to potentially create another life. Denying life is a huge mistake for any person to make. Have you ever asked a woman, preferably a single mom if she wished she aborted her child? I'm sure you are also going to meet someone who wishes they haven't. 

The institution of marriage and children are two of God's most precious gifts. Let us protect these gifts and enjoy all the wonderful things in this world. God bless! 

~Katie B.