Blast From The Past...

 This morning i happened to stumble across our family's OLD CHristmas letters and they really made me laugh. I would like to share with you what my mother wrote about child Kate.  It is pretty funny...some things never change.  ENJOY

1992: Katelyn is now four years old and happy to be attending preschool.  She definitely lives in her own little world and has quite the imagination. We're never quite sure who she is, but lately Belle (from Beauty and the Beast) is a pretty safe bet.  Thank Heavens Ariel is old news as we were getting a bit sick of that little mermaid.  I don't know why i even bother getting her dressed in the morning as she is in and out of "Dress-Ups" all day.

1993: Katelyn has pretty much split her time (and personality) this year between Snow White, Dorothy, and Jasmine.  Not exactly a good year for blondes, but she has improvised.  Now she not only changes her clothes several times a day but she has poor Jace in and out of Tutus and such also.  I'm afraid she has already warped his sense of reality.  She has become quite the swimmer and spent most of her summer underwater and Pa and Grandma Jean's house.  She is "Pint Sized" for a five year old but that doesn't seem to slow her down one bit. 

1994: Katelyn turned six this year and finally gets to go to Kindergarten, which she loves.  She is the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers biggest fan and spends her time karate chopping around the house as Kimberly, the Pink Ranger.  She is very creative and loves to pretend.  She also likes soccer, dancing, and best of all Barbie.  We've decided that Barbie should have a room of her own in our new house.  This due to the fact that she has more furniture, clothes, and friends, than any of the rest of us.  I was just sure we had every Barbie ever created, but oh no, in this year alone she became a doctor, a gymnast, and the president of the United States.  Next year i'm going to market a reality Barbie.  She'll dress frumpy, have saddle bags and not even Kate will want her.  

1995: Katelyn turned seven and is in the first grade. I didnt think i would loose control over her at such an early age.  She is now beginning to alter the perfectly matched, color-coordinated outfits that i lay out for her each day.  YIKES! She gawks at hair bows and doesn't understand why i need to comb her hair when she can do it herself.  I'm not really doing well with all of this.  I've tried everything short of throwing myself in front of her as she leaves for school, begging her not to go out that way. She has a style all her own. I guess it's good that the "I just woke up and threw this on" look is in right now.  She was Pocahontas for Halloween, along with about 55 million other girls.  She loves her doll Samantha and having friends over.  She plays soccer, started piano, and is looking forward to little league baseball this spring. Michael's goal is to teach her what a baseball is sometime before the season starts. She is doing well in school and we are all very proud of her.  

1997: Katelyn, our third grader, turned nine in september.  She's sweet, kind, and loving....AFTER out morning clash of wills over hair and clothing choices.  It's a small price to pay for her usually pleasant nature.  Perhaps the same persistence that exhaust me not will someday exalt her.  This past February she spoke at stake Conference in from on hundreds of people and wasn't even a bit nervous.  She loves dancing, swimming, piano, and the American Girls. She is an avid reader and is always engrossed in a good book

1999: Katelyn turned 11 and is in the fifth grade. She started playing the clarinet this year, but seems more fascinated with taking it apart and putting it back together than with actually playing music on it.  She too, takes piano lessons and especially loves dance.  We've decided she must be preparing herself for an excellent career as a lawyer. This due to the fact that she can reason or argue her way out of anything and often does so on a daily basis.  I don't think i can adequately express to you how much fun this is! She's an outdoor kind of gal, who prefers bare feet, bike riding, and jumping on the trampoline.  Katelyn loves to read and is often loosing herself in a good book....and in the mall.....and at DisneyWorld.....and in the Water Park.....and in our house.  She is harder to find than Waldo and we're constantly asking "Where's Kate?" We rarely find her in trouble because we are rarely ever find her.  But despite the occasional frusteration,we appreciate her good nature and ability to entertain herself.  She is a good student, friend, and baby sitter.  

2001: Katelyn is 13 and in the 7th grade.  Absolutely, without a doubt she is my mother's revenge on me.  I look forward to our daily confrontations, as they challenge my wit, my patience, and my intellect. At least we are communicating. She plays the clarinet, is a good student, and read more books this summer than i can count.  Recently we read Jane Eyre together and had a fun time expressing this bizzare and enchanting novel.  She was on a all-star softball team this summer and just finished up her first season of volleyball.  She gets tired of waiting for the phone to be free and spends much of her time chatting with her friends online. 

2005: Katelyn turned 16 in September and celebrated in style with a Friday night post-football game party that many of her friends and classmate attended.  After much stress and anxiety on my part she passed her drivers test and became on official licensed driver. She doesn't actually get the car away from Riley long enough to go very far, but she is being patient as she knows his days around here are numbered.  Come to think of it, she may even actually know that exact number of days. She is enjoying, or enduring, depending on the day, her Sophomore year and is a conscientious student.  She is on the dance team, played soccer this fall, and plans on doing softball in the spring.  She attended EFY with three of her cousins and looks forward to every visit to Utah visit with her aunts, cousins, and grandparents there. 

2007: Katelyn spent much of this past year riding washington state on a float as Royal City's Jr. Miss.  Her arms and cheecks got a workout from waving and smiling so much.  Hopefully, she enjoys these few brief minutes of fame, because Jace and Lindsey refuse to acknowledge her princess status as home, so her everyday life continues to be uneventful.  She kept busy this year preparing for the state Jr. Miss Program; being a mayor of  a city at American Legion's Girls State; cheerleading; and studying for college entrance exams.  After weeks of disappointing trips to the mailbox, she received an early christmas present...her acceptance letter from B YU Provo.....PHEW!!! Now we can all rest a little easier.  Altough she may not believe it, we'll miss more than just her shoes and jewelry all over the house when she leaves. She is a kind, compassionate, and caring daughter, sister, and friend.  

2009: Katelyn's Top Ten of 2009 

1. Mission call to Houston, Texas

2. Holidays at the Missionary Training Center leaning Spanish

3. Especially For Youth Counselor at BYU

4. Sleeping all weekend to recuperate

5. NYC for a week in September with mom and dad

6. TEN seconds of fame on the Today Show

7. Surviving bargin shopping on Canal Street

8. Searching for "fashionable" sister missionary clothing

9. GREAT friends and roommates

10. Completing Sophomore year at BYU

2010: Katelyn's time as a missionary in Houston is quickly coming to a close, as she will be returning home this Spring. She loves serving the Latino people and learning the Spanish language. She has experienced the joy of seeing people's lives changes by the gospel of Jesus Christ. We have cringed at the thought of her driving in the busy metropolitan streets of the big city and laughed at her stories of little backwoods, cowboy hat wearing country boys talking about "skinnin' coons." She is currently living adjacent to the campus of Texas A and M University in beautiful College Station. We are all looking forward to hearing her "Hi Y'all" Texas drawl Christmas day. 

Hope you all enjoyed this blast from the Ghost of Katelyn's past : D

Gumption

Gumption: Noun.
 1. The courage to take what action is needed
 2. Practical common sense and presence of mind.
 Ex: Kate Winslet. The Holiday (movie)...
"You're suppose to be the leading lady of your own life story!"

     This is my new years eve resolution. Have Gumption. I know that it is not even Christmas yet, but I am already well aware of my weaknesses and what I need to work on in the coming year. I want to be more independant and  take charge of my own life. Beacuse the truth of the matter is, having goals like "Get a 4.0 GPA," or "Lose 20 pounds" doesn't do you any good if you don't have the courage needed or committment to follow through.

     When I was seven years old my parents gave me and American Girl Doll named Samantha Parkington for my birthday. For those of you who grew up under a rock, the American Girl Dolls come with six books about their "life" and the time of history that they would have grown up in. Samantha is an upper class orphaned girl living with her grandmother in the early 1900's. One thing I remember about the first book in the series is that her grandmother makes her learn to sew and Samantha has to stitch the phrase,                                                                           
   
 "Actions Speak Louder Than Words."

    The Ameican Girl Doll books are not the only place where we can read these wise words of wisdom...

     Jane Autsen wrote in Sense and Sensibility, "It is not what we say or feel that makes us who we are...It is what we do or fail to do."

   
   William Shakespear wrote in Hamlet "This above above all: To thine own self be true, And it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man."

   
     I think my own mother, Lisa Christensen, always said it best,
 "Don't give me excuses. Give me results."

     Yesterday I watched an adorable Barbra Striesand movie entitled "What's Up, Doc?" Never seen it? Let me give you the run down...

Barbra sees Ryan O''Neil.
Barbra falls in love with him.
Barbra decides to make him fall in love with her.
She is aggresive about being where he is and showing him what a charming person she is.
She doesn't let the fact that people think she is strange stop her.
She knows exactly what she whats and does what it takes to make it happen.
Ryan falls in love with Barbra.
  
   See how easy it is? If you want something bad enough - MAKE IT HAPPEN! My friend and I were talking after the movie about how we need to be more aggresive about making things happen, not only when it comes to romantic matters as shown in the example above (although seeing as we are both single that would not hurt us ; ) but in every aspect of our life. For some people it just comes nautral, and they accomplish their goals and get what they want. Others of us really need to work on this.

    That is why Elder Oaks teaches us that our desires are so important. Because if we want something bad enough we will do what it takes to make it happen. To quote from an article I was reading the other day called "Acres of Diamonds...."

When you want a thing bad enough to go out and fight for it,
To work day and night for it,
To give up your peace and your sleep and your time for it;
If only the desire of it makes your aim strong enough never to tire of it;
If life seems all empty and useless without it,
And all that you dream and you scheme is about it;
If gladly you'll sweat for it, fret for it, plan for it,
Pray with all your strength for it;
If you'll simply go after the thing that you want with all your capacity,
Strength and sagacity; faith, hope, and confidence, stern pertinacity;
If neither poverty nor cold nor famish nor gaunt
Nor sickness of pain to body or brain can turn you away from the aim
That you want;
If dogged and grim, you besiege and beset it, you'll get it!

     In the Book of Mormon, 3 Nephi chatper 27 verse 27, we read these words of the Savior,  "Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am." Jesus is telling us that we need to BECOME like Him. It is not enough to admire Him or mearly respect Him. Be. Ye. Doers. In word and in deed.
  

     Here is one of my favorite talks about BEING and DOING. I learned a lot from it and encourage you to listen. It will inspire you to BE and DO better.

Guilty Pleasures...

Christmas music + Two very talented people = AWESOMENESS. I am so excited to listen to Holiday music. You have NO idea!!!! It's been two years since I have heard a Christmas song that was not performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, not that they are aren't awesome. It's just nice to have a change. I am so excited to listen to Holiday music by some of my favorites.

....Enter Mr. Michael Buble. I would marry him for his voice. No JOKE. I love his music.

AND he sings in Spanish

Moving on to Justin Bieber. Let's be honest - this kid is adorable. SERIOUSLY. His Christmas album is really good too, and he got a lot of great artist to work with him. 

Like Boyz II Men for example...

and Usher...I  LOVE HIM! 

 And my personal favorite - Busta Rhymes. Why I do LOVE this version of this song so much? Puzzle me that. All in all J. Bieber is just a good, clean kid with fun music. 

I can't wait to get home for thanksgiving and put all the classics we listened to growing up on my phone so I have them throughout December...N*SYNC, Kenny and Dolly, The Carpenters, Osmond Family Christmas, Donny Osmond (solo Christmas Album), John Denver and the Muppets, Amy Grant, James Taylor! Yeah...only the best and most classy of Holiday music at the Christensen home : D

I think I am just really attracted to nice voices in general. I went to see Puss in Boots with TheRileyManCan the other day. It was late, and I was very tired. I was almost falling asleep for part of the movie, but I really didn't mind because I just kept thinking that Antonio Banderes has such a nice voice and a beautiful spanish accent that I already got my money's worth. Actually - Riley paid for the movie, so HE was the one who got his moneys worth because Mr. Anthony is very smooth to listen to even as a cat. 

I rest my case...

Let's not forget him as Zorro...

Maybe that is why I am going into the profession that I am going into - to help people sound better when they speak. It's nice. I hope that my kids like to practice speaking and singing and using words correctly. I will make them read poetry to me and we will have reading nights where they will perform for me. 

Like this little boy performing Kurt Russell's speech from the movie Miracle. SO CUTE. Please watch. We had to transcribe this in my Phonetics class the other day. 

Thankful

I was going to post something that I am grateful for everyday in November, but I am super busy with school and work so I will just try and post as often as I can....

Number 1. I am so thankful for my internship, especially this year because it is something new that I did not have last year. I love working at Kids on the Move. I love helping my sweet little friends learn to communicate better. There is nothing more rewarding I could be doing right now. These children are bright little spirits that make my whole day worthwhile when I see them. It is nice to be reminded that I am not just simply going to school for no reason. It is for a purpose. I have a goal, and there is a light at the end of the tunnel - a very distant light that is three years away when you add grad school in, but helping these kids gives me motivation to keep on keepin' on all the way through my studies...the good times and the bad.

This one's for Ailsa...Dream Harry Potter American Cast

     Several people have posted online their versions of the HP Dream Cast with American actors. Most of them have failed miserably, but Hna. Lillywhite, Jensen, and I chatted over a cup of hot coco at IHOP the other day and we really have something going here. Basically we just need more Harry in our lives. 

    The Americans should give it a go, but we should do it word for word form the books in MAJOR detail as a mini series instead of movies. No one will have the guts to do this for ten years or so because they don't want to ruin the films that just finished wrapping, but it needs to happen. Obviously all of the children including Harry, Ron, and little Miss Granger will be new faces. We are still thinking of a few key characters - namely Snape, Hagrid, and the Dark Lord himself. Let us know if you have any ideas and we will add them to the list. : D 

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley

...Danny Devito and Rhea Perlman

Lily Potter

...Molly Quinn 

Professor McGonagall

...Meryl Streep

Professor Gilderoy Lockhart

...Nathan Fillion

Remus Lupin 

...Robert Downey Jr.

Mrs. Weasley 

...Catherine O'Hara

Sirius Black

...Johnny Depp

Albus Dumbledore

...Geoffrey Rush

Tonks

...Scarlett Johansson

Luna Lovegood

...Elle Fanning

Bellatrix Lestrange

...Reese Witherspoon

Professor Trelawney

...Goldie Hawn

Narcissa Malfoy

...Michelle Pfeiffer 

Mr. Arthur Weasley

...Alan Tudyk

A Few Thoughts

OK, so I know that the last few post have had a bit of a "spiritual ring" to them, but this particular subject is more of a political issue than anything else....

You all know the story about a certain pastor down in Texas who made some remarks about Mormons not being Christian. I served my mission in Texas and believe me, I heard worse accusations than that about the Church....WELCOME TO TEXAS FOLKS. They have a different church on every corner. Everyone is entitled to their own person opinion. I just hope that they base that opinion on fact rather than common folklore.

This is an article written by a man who is not even a member of our church, but who saw firsthand the gospel in action via Elder Russell M. Nelson, an apostle of the Lord. It is an interesting article.Maybe he is a little harsh on Jeffres, but he makes some valid points. I hope you find it entertaining and informing.

Friend of Perry is enemy of almost everyone else

By Daniel Ruth, Times Columnist
In Print: Tuesday, October 11, 2011

You might say the oh so very Rev. Robert Jeffress, the Torquemada of Texas, has put the yuck into ecumenical.

Or put another way, you're all going to hell. And that means you, by the way. Jewish? Please, don't even think about heaven. Catholic? One word: complete toast. Okay, two words. Muslim? Really, now. Mormon? Cue The Omen theme. And as for Buddhist, Quaker or anything else that doesn't comport with Jeffress' brand of puckered fundamentalist evangelicalism, well, you might as well just go ahead and set yourselves on fire right now.

It was the scriptural snake oil salesman Jeffress, supporter of Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who denounced the Mormon religion of former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney the other day as a "cult."
Perry, in a deft pirouette, quickly attempted to disassociate himself from the biblical bully's bigotry. But since the Republican candidate had approved Jeffress to introduce him at a Values Voter Summit (read: tea party on steroids), and since Pastor Foghorn Leghorn heads one of those enormous mega-ATM churches in Dallas, surely Perry had to know his opening act was so judgmentally pinched he made the Taliban look like a bunch of Kumbaya-singing/Birkenstock-wearing/feminism-loving Unitarians.
Indeed, Perry can run away only so far, having already surrounded himself with a pulpit of Gospel-thumping Marx Brothers of ministers who have decried Oprah Winfrey as the leader of a "harlot movement," or attacked the Statue of Liberty as a demonic symbol. What was one more addition to the Perry political Inquisition bandwagon?

The issue of Romney's Mormonism has been burbling at or near the surface of the political discourse this election season. And just as churlish quips made about Barack Obama's work as a "community organizer" served as a stand-in fearmongering euphemism for helping black people empower themselves, so too have allegations that Romney wasn't "conservative" enough provided cover to make the point he actually wasn't Christian enough.

It's altogether possible Mormonism may not exactly float your soulful boat. To be perfectly honest, I could never adhere to a faith that says I can't enjoy a cocktail. The no coffee thing is also problematic. It's not a calling that strikes me as a lot of laughs. But there are plenty of other so-called Christian groups that frown upon a stiff shot of whatever gets you through the day and no one accuses them of being Druids.
To be sure, Mormonism has struggled with something of a — ahem — public relations problem with such high-profile negative characterizations of the faith as seen through the prism of the multimarriage Big Love on HBO, or the satirical The Book of Mormon on Broadway, or the seamy polygamy/rape trials of offshoot Mormon sect figure Warren Jeffs.

Which brings us to Elder Russell Nelson, one of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Think of this as a sort of Utah's answer to the College of Cardinals.
Nelson paid a visit to the St. Petersburg Times editorial board recently and at 87, he was lean, fit, mentally sharp and about to embark on a multi-nation tour on behalf the church. There were no horns. No signs of Beelzebub. No harems. This was just a thoughtful, spiritual man.
Nelson readily acknowledged the church's image problems. His solution? Simply live a moral, decent life. Be a responsible member of the community. And by living a virtuous life, you set an example for others to recognize Mormonism is not a threat to anyone — except perhaps Starbucks.
We all tend to fear what we don't know. Some, like Jeffress, the Simon Legree of Leviticus, are simply more irrationally dense.

Mitt Romney has plenty of problems with his candidacy for the White House, not the least of which is he comes off as a bigger stiff than the occupant of Lenin's Tomb. But whether Romney is a Mormon or prefers to worship parking meters is irrelevant to leading the nation.
I am an extremely lapsed Catholic who hasn't voluntarily attended Mass in more than 45 years. But what if I suddenly faced some personal crisis and I wanted to talk to someone for spiritual insight, guidance or consolation?

Whom would I be more comfortable with?
Would it be the bloviating little God-baiting parson in Dallas who is so quick to condemn, to judge, to exploit the worst ignorant fears in people?
Or would it be the octogenarian gentle man, who may hold dogmatic beliefs I don't subscribe to, but nevertheless yearns to simply lead a meaningful life.
I think I would be on the next plane to Salt Lake City.

If I Were You, What Would I Do?

This is the title of an address given by Gordon B. Hinckley to the students here at BYU, but I really love it and I think that it applies to everyone in this particular stage of life. I thought that I would share it with you because it really spoke to me.

My aunts asked me to go to the Marriot Center to buy some ski tickets for their boys. On my way back from purchasing said tickets today I was walking merrily along on the bridge between the MC and the rest of campus when suddenly, for the first in a very long time, I realized how beautiful Brigham Young University is and how lucky I am to be learning and going to school here in Utah. I am not going to complain about being in college anymore or being behind because of my mission. I am going to LOVE these last few semseters and have the time of my life.

I looked out over campus and just had to smile. I love this place. No matter how hard it is to feel successful and important here sometimes, no matter how stressful classes can be, the bottom line is: This is an incredible time in my life and I need to be happy and make the most of it because it will soon be over. That is true for all of us in this phase of life.

If I were you, what would I do?

I'd enjoy every day of my stay

On this campus of Brigham Young U

"What a unique and beautiful place this is! How rich and wonderful are your opportunities!...

These are golden years. Do you know what alma mater means? It means dear mother, with all of the best that that connotes. You are here as a much loved part of her family. Enjoy your days, every one of them, and, when you leave and the years pass with the cadence of the seasons, may you look back with fondness and smiles to happy times on the magnificent campus of your beloved alma mater."
 

If I were you, what would I do?

I'd drink of the nectar of knowledge,

A great, full draft of its richest brew.

"Never again in all of your lives will you have an equal opportunity to learn so much in so brief a period of time. The marketplace into which you will go with your skills when you finish here will be fiercely competitive. It will demand of you the very best that you have to give. You are here to learn so that you might go forth to serve. I know that at times it's a grind. I know that it becomes exhausting. I know that it can be terribly frustrating and discouraging. But it also can be so wonderful and so fruitful....What a tremendous blessing it is to be able to study--to sit down with a book, to shut out the world around you, and to concentrate on the ideas that move before you as you read sentences and paragraphs and pages, the essence of which becomes a part of your ever-growing store of knowledge."

 

If I were you, what would I do?

I'd walk humbly with God and my Savior, too.

     "It is your opportunity, yes, it is your responsibility while here, to cultivate a spiritual dimension in your lives as you train your minds in secular matters. Every student in this great and unique university may come to know--in fact, he or she has the obligation to come to know for himself or herself--that God our Eternal Father lives and that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and the Redeemer of mankind."

 

If I were you, what would I do?

I'd fall in love with a girl named Sue,

Or a boy named Lou,

And plan for the day we'd be married, We two.

 
     "Keep yourselves clean from the stain of the world. Keep yourselves neat and attractive and trim. Keep yourselves worthy of the best to be had. You will find none better than those on this campus. Keep yourselves worthy of marriage in the house of the Lord. There is no adequate substitute for it. Let the stars of romance dance in your eyes and fever of love touch your brain. But keep your feet on the ground and discipline your emotions with the knowledge that the God of heaven who loves you invites you to the greatest of blessings for time and all eternity, but that he also exacts a price if they be yours."
 

If I were you, what would I do?

I'd live with my love with integrity true--

And welcome our children, many or few

     'If husbands and wives would only give greater emphasis to the virtues that are to be found in one another and less to the faults, there would be fewer broken hearts, fewer tears, fewer divorces, and much more happiness in the homes of our people.'

If I were you, what would I do?

If courtship and marriage didn't come through?

I'd fret, but I'd say, "There's no time to stew.

Get busy. Find something important to do."

     "There are some who, for reason unexplainable, do not have the opportunity of marriage. To you I should like to say a word or two. Don't waste your time and wear out your lives wandering about in the wasteland of self-pity. God has given you talents of one kind or another. God has given you the capacity to serve the needs of others and bless their lives with your kindness and concern. Reach out to someone in need. There are so very many out there...The world needs you. The Church needs you. So very many people and causes need your strength and wisdom and talents. The time you are spending in this university is a tremendous investment. It can be planned in such a way as to yield satisfying dividends in the future.'

By now I'd just say, "Good-bye and adieu,"

With a prayer in my heart for each one of you

Inspired

If you want to be inspired...watch this video. ALL OF IT. You will not regret it. These are the Lord's living apostles. ASK HIM! He will tell you that I am speaking the truth. Thomas S. Monson is His chosen Prophet for our day. I love these men!

The Gospel According to Lions

OK, so for some of you this post is going to seem VERY strange, but it has been on my mind for the past couple of days, so I thought that I would write about. I FINALLY had the opportunity to see The Lion King in theaters. Let's just say it was a weirdly spiritual experience and I cried through half of the movie. I had not seen the Lion King in FOREVER, but it really is a great flick. It is kind of all I can think about now. Basically you can draw about A MILLION parallels to the gospel from this one film. I am going to share with you just a few that really touched my heart.

 1.  We have rules and guidelines for a reason. They keep us safe. Remember how the kingdom of Pride Rock covers "everything the light touches." That is because once you step outside of Pride Rock and go into the scary, dark elephant graveyard you are in enemy territory my friends. There is NO light there. You are not safe. You are not even brave. You put yourself and those whom you love in danger. To quote president Monson, "Our code of conduct is definitive, it is not negotiable...I declare unto you that there is nothing which can bring more joy into our lives or more peace to our souls than the spirit which can come to us as we follow the Savior and keep His commandments."

2. Satan is a JERK. No really. He is. I mean it. Think about Scar for a second. HE. IS. SATAN. Who was the one who encouraged Simba to go into the elephant graveyard in the first place? Scar. How did he do it? By pointing out to his nephew the things that he COULD NOT do...

"Your father showed you THE WHOLE kingdom, did he?...He didn't show you what's beyond that rise at the northern border?"
Simba: "Well no, he says I can't go there."

THEN he uses bits of truth to make it appear like a good idea...

"He's absolutely right! It's far too dangerous. Only THE BRAVEST of lions go there."

Also - He uses guilt trips to make us feel inadequate and unworthy and small. He did this with Simba, making the little lion cub think that Mufasa's death was his own fault. Satan, and Scar, make us think that the only solution to our problems is to "run away and never return," because repentance is out of our reach and not possible. "What will your mother think?" What will the other lions says when they find out you killed your dad? This is the OPPOSITE of what God thinks. That is why he sent His son to the Earth, so we could change and be better and return to him again one day.

Satan also will NEVER support his followers in the end. He can promise you the world, just at Scar did to his hyena comrades, but he cannot deliver. This is because the outcome of the final battle is already determined and the forces of righteousness will win.

3.  The Lord loves each of His children SO MUCH! The scene of Mufasa's death was extremely powerful to me. It made me realize how much out Heavenly Father is willing to go through to save us and protect us and how much the Savior went through. He truly is The Good Shepard who is willing to leave the 90 and 9 at any point in time and go after the one.

4. The Book of Mormon teaches us about Kings. We learn that kings are WONDERFUL as long as they are righteous. Unfortunately a righteous king is hard to come by. That is why kings were done away with so often in the Book of Mormon, because people tend to get a little greedy and want POWER. The Savior is going to rule as THE King of Kings when He comes because he is perfectly just and perfectly merciful.

5.  The carefree, stress free life is NOT GOD'S PLAN FOR US. This one really hit me because school is hard. Work is hard. Looking for a husband is hard. Being in the Relief Society Presidency is hard. That is because, to quote Elder Holland, "I believe God wants us to be happy, but he also wants us to be strong." It would be REAL easy to sit around do nothing, especially when compared to ruling a country like Simba was mean to do. This is called living below our potential. Mufasa tells his son..."You are more than what you have become." I NEVER want to hear my Heavenly Father say that me.

6.  The most touching scene of ALL is course when Simba finds out that his father has been with him all along. I always tear up a little when Rafiki leads him to the pool of water to find what Simba thinks is his dad waiting for him. He looks down and sees his reflection. It made me think of another Disney gem...THIS picture -

LOOK AT WHO MICKEY SEES WHEN HE LOOKS IN THE MIRROR? Touching, right? Sometimes it is hard to see the sacred spark of divinity within each of us. All we have to do when we have trouble finding our creator is, as Rafiki says..."Look HARDER." He lives in YOU.

We can't know who we are without understanding a small part of who HE is and where we came from. Mufasa tells Simba..."You have forgotten who are and so forgotten me.... REMEMBER.... REMEMBER." Is that NOT the most important word in the Gospel? Remember who you are.
"You are my son, and the one true king. You must take your place in the circle of life."

Let me just close by quoting the words to a song from the movie...

"There's no mountain too great,
Here the words and have faith.
HAVE FAITH.

He lives in you
He lives in me.
He watches over
Everything we see
Into the water
Into the truth
IN YOUR REFLECTION
He lives in you..."

Austenland

Yup. I Just spent the past two hours there...and it was FANTASTIC!


                                                                                                                                                              


Actually, Austenland is a novel. I have read lots of good books since I came home from my mission. We all adored the Hunger Games, and don't even get me started on how much I LOVED The Help. I thoroughly enjoyed Austenland though. A friend recommended it to me yesterday and I saw it today ON SALE at the BYU Bookstore after class today. I bought it. I read it in one sitting. It is really witty, especially for all you Jane Austin lovers out there.





I am not really obsessed with Pride and Prejudice as most girls claim to be, although it is beautifully written and poetic. Mostly I am mostly just in love with him -

Colin Firth - not exactly "Mr. Darcy." Ok, so I am in love with Colin Firth AS Mr. Darcy. Look at him! Look at those sparkling eyes. He is SO handsome.

The dedication of Austenland reads "For Colin Firth, "You're really a great guy, but I'm married, so I think we should just be friends." HAHA! I knew I would love this book even before I started reading it. My personal letter to Colin would read - "For Colin Firth. I just love you. You're a really great guy, but you are old enough to be my father, so I think we should just be friends."

Remember this?

The story of Austenland is this - an adorable young, single women is getting to the age where she is not particularly young anymore, but still VERY much single. PROBLEM. She is also obsessed with Mr. Darcy and particularly Colin Firth. She blames all of her failed relationships on this. Mr. Darcy is perfect, and nobody can quite measure up. Also, Jane Austin wrote in a time where relationships were meant to go somewhere. If you did not intend to marry someone, you did not court them. It was very simple, unlike today and all the crazy stuff going on with hanging out and hooking up.

Jane, our protagonist, finds the modern world of dating confusing. She is hopeful and always looking for love. At times she is a little too hopeful. Let's just say that she counts a man as her "boyfriend" as soon as they go out on a first date. HAHAHA! I feel such a kinship with her. She is super sweet and funny. She is also very unlucky in love and spends most night pining over a fictional character.

Her great auntie goes to lunch with Jane at the start of the story and uncovers her secret obsession with Austen and Mr. Darcy. She tells Jane that if she keeps living in a fantasy world she will end up dying a Spinster like the author of love, Jane Austen herself. The perfect man does not exist. She tells Jane that she was not satisfied with her husband and was unfaithful to him for most of their marriage because he wasn't perfect. She didn't come to love him until later in life and they only had two blissful years of matrimony before his death. She encourages Jane to get a life and live in the real world.

Jane's aunt ends up dying. HOWEVER, in her will she leaves a little something something to Miss Jane. She arranged and paid for Jane to fly to England and spend three weeks in Austenland - a "park" dedicated to life in 1816 and giving Pride and Prejudice obsessed people the opportunity to "live life in Austen's England." Jane has finally decided to put this whole thing aside and move on and at first does not want to go, but she decides to have one last fling with Jane Austin before burying her fantasy obsession forever.

Her aunt's original intention of sending Jane to England was probably to let her see how sad all the crazy, romance starved,  fifty year old women pretending to be twenty year old Elizabeth Bennett are. HILARIOUS! Jane feels a little out of place at first, but she is actually witty and the character actors who work at the park at happy to have her there. She is OF COURSE a succor for all the VERY attractive men, and a couple of them seem to be falling for her too, but she can never quite tell if they are acting and getting paid to make her feel that way, or if the feelings are real. It is good fun!

Mostly this is a cute story about finding your own voice and taking control of your life. You are suppose to be the heroine of your own life story, and Jane Austen doesn't have to write it for you. It is a short read and it is not too intellectually deep, but it is sweet and I liked it. You will especially enjoy all the clever throwbacks to Pride and Prejudice if you are an Austen fan.

SIDENOTE: Remember her?

Twilight author Stephenie Meyer. She is producing a movie version of the book due out next year staring Keri Russell. SO EXCITED! 

Also - if anybody ACTUALLY DOES find a real Austenland and would like to arrange for me to go there for three weeks, I would not mind. In fact, I would love. I would look GREAT in an empire waist dress. 

SPOTLIGHT

 OK - So I just have to say that I am slightly obsessed with The Duchess of Cambridge. She is my fashion hero. I came home from my mission just in time to watch the Royal Wedding. Remember this?

Which, by the way, was SO MUCH better than this -

                        
 Sorry Kim, but Kate had the best wedding of the year BY FAR! 

 Kate Middleton is a true princess. She always looks SUPER CLASSY. I want to be her. 

                                                                              Let's take a look, shall we? 

Seriously! She is one classy chick. I am sure that there are lots of crazy photos out there of her from when she was a stupid kid, but she sure knows how to look like royalty now. I could probably look this good too if I were a true princess and people were lining up to dress me, and I have no idea how much say she has in what she actually wears, but look how great she looks all the time. She wears simple jewelry and has modest hemlines. Less is best with her. 

  

...even when she is a cowgirl she looks stunning!

PLUS she has a Sapphire engagement ring. That is my birthstone, and it is GORGEOUS. Not to mention Kathryn (Kate) is one of the most beautiful names in the English language, but I am a little biased. She is basically awesome. SNAPS FOR KATE!