You're An Angel

There's this guy in a few of my classes, let's call him Brandon, who is quite the interesting character. On the outside, he seems really rough. On any given day, Brandon can be seen wearing sweats or dark, baggy jeans with an over-sized t-shirt, and shoes which look at least two sizes too big. He always has a pair of of beats around his neck.

In Spanish, we earn pesos for participating, and for each ten we earn, we receive extra credit. Last week on a peso-turn-in-day, Brandon was lamenting the fact that he only had eight pesos, and that his friend Sean would have given him two more if Sean had been at school that day. Having seventeen pesos myself, I gave him two. He seemed shocked and amazed that someone would want to show kindness to him. The rest of the day, he thanked me over and over, and told everyone around him how nice I was. Over the next couple days Brandon let me go ahead of him in line, always smiled and said hi to me, and thanked me more.

Fast forward to today. I was talking to my friend about why I keep the standards of the church (such as not dating til 16, etc.), and Brandon, who was sitting on the other side of her heard our conversation. It was kind of funny though, because he only heard half of it at first. I was telling my friend about how I don't do drugs and alcohol and Brandon's face went into shock, "You do drugs and alcohol?" The incredulity in his voice was funny, and it made me feel great that he couldn't imagine me doing such things. I informed him that I definitely do not do drugs and alcohol and that he only heard half of the conversation. He seemed relieved. Later my friend and I were talking about chastity, and I said something to the effect of, "Yeah, I definitely don't want to become pregnant in high school!". Again, Brandon's head snapped around and his face was one of shock. "You're... you're.." he stammered. I replied, "No, I'm definitely not pregnant, nor will I be until after I'm married."What happened next is what surprised me the most. His face lit up and he said, "I respect that. I respect that a lot. Good for you!" and he gave me a high five. How sweet is that? But it gets better.

Towards the end of the Spanish period, Brandon was singing/rapping (I think) under his breath to some music he was listening to. In the process of which, he cussed a few times. Immediately, his head snapped up and he had a look on his face as though he'd just run over his mother's cat. He said, "Oh snap! Oh my goodness! I am so, so sorry! You did not just hear what I said! I should not have said those things around you! You're too innocent. You're an angel. You're an angel. I am so sorry!" I thanked him for his respect and thoughtfulness. I had never even asked him to not swear around me. He just knew not to instinctively. How cool is that?

If only the world had more Brandons. At first glance, I didn't know if he was someone I could be friends with, but now I see that he is just so awesome. I know that he notices my example- knowledge which I feel blessed to have. I am so grateful for the cool experiences that Heavenly Father lets us have in our lives!

The Deal With Dating After Sixteen

I have news! I have finally come to a wonderful decision! For a while now I've been slightly wavering on a topic we all know lots about: dating. It is common knowledge that we shouldn't date until we're sixteen, and that once we're sixteen we should only go on group dates. But after that, the standards are a bit ambiguous. Many youth date steadily, and it's perfectly accepted by society. But there are always the few in church who advise us not to have serious relationships in high school at all. And that is where I wavered.
That point in time is still in my future, and I've been thinking about it a lot for a long time. But several things have happened in the past week to help me make up my mind.
I went to EFY. We had a class about preparing for our missions, and in it the teacher told us just how difficult it is to prepare for a mission if one has broken the law of chastity, or even very physically intimate without going all the way. I knew at that moment that I didn't even want to put myself in a situation where it would be remotely easy for such an occurrence to happen.
A return missionary spoke in our ward yesterday and talked about how the purpose of dating and being in relationships is to prepare for marriage. That's the only reason! So what's the point in high school? I'm not getting married in high school, nor do I want to get married immediately out of high school! I'm still a kid!
And, the occurrence which helped me make up my mind the most: I had a long phone conversation with my friend last night. He's not a member. But he was having some girl problems and called for advice and comfort. In our conversation, I ended up sort of bearing my testimony to him of our dating standards. I told him that the problems he was facing was one of the reasons why my church advises us not to date until age sixteen. I also told him about the purpose of serious relationships. I am very emotional, and feel things very deeply, including romantic feelings. He knows this. I told him that being in a relationship would easily put in me in situations where I would be overwhelmed with feelings, and they'd distract me from all else. I'd justify skipping my practicing viola for hanging out with my boyfriend, which will NOT propel me in the direction I want for my future and career. After telling him all of this he said, "If you can make it through high school without dating someone, I will respect you more than I respect any person in this whole world. I already respect you a lot, but this will put you through the roof. I wish I never dated these past years of high school, and I think I'm going to try that this year." Him saying that to me helped me realize how much of an influence I can be when I testify of my standards.
So after these three things happened, I made a decision. I will not date steadily in high school. It's just not worth it. I won't be as close to my Heavenly Father, and doing so will get in the way of everything. It's the principle of Good, Better, Best. Waiting til age sixteen to date is good. Going on group dates for a while before being in a relationship in high school is better. But waiting to have serious relationships until after high school is best. I want the best. I know it will bless me. I know that my life will be that much better because of this choice I am making. I know I will have more success in my pursuits. Dating in college as a young adult will be so much better.  And future generations will be blessed because of my righteous example.

"It's the principle of Good, Better, Best."

As You Really Are

Hey everybody! I know that I haven't posted in a super long time, and I apologize for that. I'm still trying to figure out how to juggle everything and balance my schedule with the new school year.

I found a video recently that really impacted me and brought a huge smile to my face.

I really loved hearing what young men actually think of us young women. (Sorry guys, this post is more for the Young Women, but you are welcome to still finish reading to the end since you've read this far already. :D) Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to look cute and seem perfect to them, but I think that they for the most part don't see all of the imperfections that we see in ourselves. Young Men see the beauty in us, and they see our potential for good. You are more than you know. :D

To Date... or Not To Date...

Hey everyone! As I was pondering as to what I should post about today, it occurred to me that I have a strong testimony about the Lord's standards on teenage dating, and that I wanted to share that with you so that if you haven't already made a firm decision about your future or present, you can now.

Recently, I was able to realize just how much I agree with and am blessed by the standards which the Lord sets about dating. I'm sure you've all heard the rules: Don't date before age 16, start with double dates and group dates, be very cautious about being in a relationship, etc. Many teenagers feel like these are restrictions. Others are dismayed by these guidelines, and as much as they want to be able to follow them willingly without any second thoughts, have a hard time doing so. Well, I'm going to share with you how you can follow these standards and actually enjoy doing so!

Here's why I am so glad and blessed to have the church's standards about dating:

• Teenage years are emotional.  Personally, I have so much to be emotional about already, what with everything that goes on, and all those hormones, I really don't need or want to add any extra heartbreak, jealousy, lust, or frustration to the mix, all of which are included with dating and having relationships.
• Teens have a lot on their plates! Teenagers these days, especially LDS teens, have tons of stuff to do everyday! We have school, which in itself includes tests, studying, punctuality, homework, social expectations, and more. Then, we have extra-curricular stuff to do. Whether it be music, sports, student government, yearbook staff, or any clubs, most teens do at least one of these things, and many do even more!  Then, lots of us have jobs. Younger teens may babysit or mow lawns, and older ones may work at a frozen yogurt shop, or something. All teenagers will eventually do driver's ed. And, most teenagers, whether they're LDS, or not, have lots of things to do for church. LDS teens have church on Sunday, Mutual, Seminary, Family Home Evening, Duty to God or Personal Progress, service activites, genealogy, temple trips, and more! Also, all teenagers should have a focus somewhere in their mind of trying to get into college eventually. Obviously, we have a lot of stuff to do! The more we have to do, the more sacrifices we have to make of things we can't do. So, if you add a relationship on top of everything, you may have to sacrifice something like getting good grades, Personal Progress, focusing on college, etc. Letting these things slip by will harm you.

• Babies are great, but not so great for teens!  If you're not careful when you're dating someone, you could end up being a parent long before you ever thought you would. And, while being a parent is a great thing, it's not what teenagers need to be doing at this point in our lives. Having a baby before you're married could: hinder or permanently stop you from getting a college degree, strain relationships with friends, family, and your boyfriend/girlfriend, rush marriage which could cause marital problems in the future, cause an unstable family or financial environment for your baby/ family. The best protection is abstinence, and it's easiest to stay pure when you are not in a serious relationship.

These are only some of the reasons why I feel blessed to have the guidelines and standards which the Lord gives us. I know that when I follow these guidelines, I will be blessed. I will be able to have a good time when I am dating, I will save myself from lots of heartbreak, I will be able to enjoy having children when I'm married, rather than worrying about it when I'm not married, I will be able to have a beautiful, successful marriage, I will be able to focus on the things which I need to do now which will make my future more successful, and so many more things. But, most of all, I know that when I follow the standards which my Father in Heaven gives me, He will be pleased with me and trust me with more things.