The Good Samaritan

Well, today I have a rather simple, but deep experience to write about. It happened yesterday, and it has really left me thinking about things. I was on my way to pick up Spencer from soccer practice, and as I was driving through a neighborhood, I was driving toward a boy about Spencer's age who was riding his bike. He seemed pretty content for the brief second I was paying attention, and then all of a sudden he was crossing a street that intersected the one I was on, and instead of going on the sidewalk, he was headed for the corner as I was approaching it. The gutter was full of dry fall leaves, and as I saw this and briefly contemplated what that might mean for him, he made eye contact with me. Just then, his wheel slipped out from under him, and he fell forward off his bike and into the street right as I passed him.

All of this happened so fast, and I could hardly believe what I had just seen. I gasped and swerved slightly, and looked backward through the rearview mirror, hoping he wasn't too hurt. For a brief second, as I saw the boy gingerly cradling his elbow, I considered pulling over to see if he was okay, and if I could help. I was still recovering from what I had seen by the time I realized I really could have helped him, but I was already far enough away that I just decided to keep going. I resolved that if he was still there when I made the trip back, then I would stop and help.

I made it to the field to pick up Spencer, and when he got in the car I told him about the boy I had seen, almost excited to get back and see if he was still there, and assuming that Spencer would be curious as well. But I was surprised by what I heard my wise little brother saying to me. He asked me why I didn't stop to help him, especially in light of the fact that he hadn't been in a hurry to get home from soccer. I could only make the excuse that I was in the mindset of going to pick him up, and it didn't seem necessary to stop what I was doing to help. He was at once disappointed that I hadn't stopped to help the boy, especially after having found out that he was about his own age, and probably picturing himself in the same position.

But he didn't stop there; he went on to compare the whole scenario to the story of the Good Samaritan in the bible. I have always known my brother is a good listener in sunday school, and that he has a particularly good memory for scripture stories. He seems to learn well from them, and this was the case yesterday, when he said that I was like the 2nd priest in the story who passed the man beaten on the road, and didn't have the time to help another because he had somewhere to be.

This really got me thinking. My immediate reaction was to defend myself, and to explain why it made more sense for me to keep going, but the more I tried to rationalize this in my head, the more insignificant it sounded compared to what experience I could have had if I had taken the time to stop and help another, no matter how minor his injuries may have been.

We passed the spot where the boy had fallen, and I could tell Spencer was eager to help him if we could, but he wasn't there anymore, and it saddened me even more to see how easy it would have been just to make the simple gesture of assistance, and how quickly that opportunity passed when I didn't respond the first time. My conversation with Spencer ended there, but I continued to ponder this concept for the rest of the day, and marveled at the wisdom of my little brother. Even with his simple, pure knowledge of Christ, he could plainly see that I had missed a perfect opportunity to show my love for my neighbor, and my willingness to follow Christ because I was simply on a different agenda. I realized how that was such a weak excuse for my actions, considering all that I profess to believe on a daily basis. I realized that if my will had truly been aligned with His, and that I had been perfectly willing to follow the promptings of the spirit, then I would have ignored all other supposedly sensible judgment, and made the small sacrifice of helping a fellow child of god in his need. The force of that small lesson just really struck me, and I felt a need to share it with others for some reason. I hope that others may learn from that experience as much as I did. We never know what opportunities we could be missing out on unless we just follow the Spirit, and truly look out for our fellow men.
Next time, I am determined not to let my Savior down. I will follow Him in all things, no matter how inconvenient they may be for me. This is what true submission and alignment of will looks like, and I hope that I can be counted on to live it.

All of the Firsts

Well guys. Guess what. You may be surprised to see that I am in fact still alive in this world, and actually quite busy. I have had a lot happen in the past several weeks/months, and it is all still relatively new to me. I honestly don't have much time for this, which is why I'm literally losing sleep to write this post at 1 in the morning. However, sometimes you just have to take it where you can get it, and for me, in this time of my life, this is it.

Okay, first of all, this is my life theme video right now, because I love it, and it's so inspirational, and also because it portrays exactly how I feel about the example and amazing prophet that Joseph Smith was. I love the way Elder Holland bears witness of him using logic, and also the power of the Holy Ghost, to diligently "preach of Christ", as well as the Book of Mormon (2 Nephi 25:26). It is certainly amazing what these words can do to strengthen my own testimony.

Anyways, I now need to provide a summary of how crazy  my life has been these past few weeks, so here goes.
Two weeks ago, I had my last first day of high school. After this year, I will no longer be required by law to attend school. Yippeee!!!! Also, a couple weeks ago, I got my first real job as a waitress at a retirement home no more than a 1/4 mile from my house, if that. It's actually pretty awesome because I work with some fun, sweet people, including the elderly, and plus, it makes me feel more productive. There are many other pros and cons that I won't go into now, but suffice it to say that I'm enjoying the world of employment.

Another thing that I can finally boast is that my six months have been up for a couple weeks, so that makes things more fun, even though I don't have much opportunity to drive people. I do go to the gym quite a bit though, so I definitely make a point of partying then.

At school, my schedule this year looks wimpy, but there are reasons behind this. I have seminary of course, AP Literature, Spanish, office aide, AP Government, and hopefully independent study P.E. Then, I have a couple precious and meager hours in between this for homework, but they don't usually end up being used for that. It is really hard to be diligent in this... let's just say, between church & callings, school, work, fun, and hobbies, I am definitely having quite the challenge to learn to balance all of this gracefully and without too frequent meltdowns. That part is especially hard. (I had one just yesterday for example.) However, I am still hanging on, and the most important thing is that I'm becoming stronger than ever in the gospel, which increases my ability to cope with everything that life might throw at me. When life gets you down, read your scriptures!! :)   - oh, and also, do family history! I swear it's therapeutic!

  + =   :)

I am always grateful for the blessings all around me which are gifts from my Heavenly Father, and I hope that I never take them for granted because I certainly would be completely lost without the knowledge I have, and I hope that someday I will take that message out into the world as an official full time missionary for the church to declare its truth and testify of its blessings.

For now though, I will learn to be a better member missionary, which is yet another huge challenge to add to my own list of goals. But this is one that I especially care about, so hopefully I will have the courage to make it happen.

In the meantime, I am just here, doing my thing, learning the balance of my current life, and getting lots of practice for college as I also try to figure out what I'm going to do with my future. I can't do more than my best in preparing for it & pray for the strength I need to face it, and then leave the rest up to my Father who can do all things if only I will believe in Him.

I believe.

-Melissa Joy

It Ain't the Summer Blues!

The Summer blues were supposed to be my reason for not posting, but in reality I really have no excuse for not posting more often other than I am a failure at prioritizing. I just never get around to it! I know I always enjoy reading other people's blogs, but I can't seem to establish a routine for it myself. This is something that I have always struggled with, but I will overcome it if I ever want it enough.

          (random & cute!!)

For now, I'm just so glad it's finally summer!! It has been so hot, and even though we have no air conditioning for the time being, I am appreciating it so much. I have waited for these two weeks of heat so long!! It's why I endure every other week in the year. It's what keeps me sane! 

I just have to mention since I never did before, that I got 94% on Miller's final, and kept my 4.0 intact this whole year. Next year may be another matter entirely, but we'll see how that goes. I'm just really proud of it because I worked so hard to maintain it.

I have been having lots of fun already this summer! I went to Girl's Camp, hiked Roxyann with Crstn and Anna to see the sunset, and actually had a pretty scary experience--long story behind that--all because we didn't bring a flashlight..how smart. After the sunset it gets DARK..Obviously we're bright. But it ended up being such a good bonding experience.

We sang hymns, prayed, held hands, and tried not to be terrified. It definitely took a huge amount of faith. We had to take the longer path because it was wider, more traveled, and more open and light. I'm pretty sure it took us over an hour to walk down, and we did it all in the dark.


We were strong for each other, and reassuring. We just talked and talked about life, and said why we love each other, and discussed fulfilling our divine missions, and we just got so invigorated, we kept walking right on down and no harm came to us. We didn't even get a ride back to Anna's house, we just walked. That was because after a while, we received the peace  and assurance of Christ, and embraced it with every part of us. It turned into such a cool experience, spiritually, but also a good physical lesson- when planning a sunset hike, bring flashlights, or else lots of guys with the priesthood! 

Some other things I have done...well, some biking, and vegetarian eating, and having lots of fun with Heidi. Also, I went to see the Amazing Spider Man with 5 of my best guy friends and my brother, and ate Marionberry Pie ice cream while overlooking the valley at 2 in the morning. That was quite an adventure as well.

I have done lots of hanging out with Anna, Meg, Adde, and Christine. I also went on a double date with Luke and Christine and Josh to Jacksonville Inn, and then to a movie in the park for Josh's birthday, which was hilarious and fun....

Right now, my dad and brother are driving up to Seattle to ride 200 miles to Portland this weekend. I'm so proud of them! They are amazing, and fun people..it's also kind of funny, my parents' anniversary is tomorrow, and since my dad started doing this Seattle to Portland ride every summer, he has been away for it. We'll find a way to make it fun for mom, though.

So, I feel like I'm basically living it up like a true teenager. But I have also done lots of spiritual growth and inward reflection on how I can improve my relationships and the quality of the life I am currently living. I had a realization of how important it is that I fulfill my divine purpose and reason for coming here, and I have to be prepared in order to fully receive that mission.

I have been motivated by the people around me who are watching to get my own life in order, set a good example, live high standards, and keep myself "unspotted from the world" in order to reach that potential. It is kind of a burden, but it is also a complementary challenge, and honor to be so highly trusted with a purpose that makes a difference. I accept the challenge.

On a side note, I have been getting closer to my sister than ever before. We talk about everything, and go on random outings together, and stay up late, giggling into the night..we have had a LOT of fun. I am so glad we never really fight. I know I can talk to her about anything, and that she will make me laugh when I don't feel like laughing. She is so much fun! I don't want her or my brother to go to college in the fall, but I guess I'll have to handle it.

                                            

                                           

(This is us after Sam's graduation..we were pretty hyper. I love these guys!)

Also, I have been working on serving the people I love more freely and more often. I try to be diligent and have a good attitude, and it has really made a difference in the spirit of our entire home. Honestly, even just in the week or so I have stepped it up, I have seen a huge change in the atmosphere. It is very satisfying to know that I have brought about a lot of that good change.

Lastly, I guess I should mention I am teaching my little brother Spanish!!! It is so fun! It is good practice in patience for me, and a good education for him. He loves it, and often begs me to teach him more throughout the day. He keeps using phrases on my mom, and it's funny because half of the time, I think he doesn't know what he's saying. It's cute.

Also, I am learning how to get along with him better. It's not like I constantly fight with Spencer, it's just that he has so much energy and craziness that I don't know what to do with him sometimes, and it overwhelms me. Now, I am helping him to channel that energy into something that he enjoys, and it is also a good experience.

I am just getting along with everyone in my house so much better now that I changed my own attitude, and it is really eye-opening to see the influence that I have. I have put so much more into my relationships with my family and I have gotten out of it ten times what I put in.

I think I will keep this attitude, and see who else I can change by my positivity and service. I'm gonna keep smiling, and watch the good consequences follow. The possibilities are endless! 

Busy Stuff...

Wellll....I have not yet posted about Carnegie Hall, and the main reason for that is because as soon as I got home, things got crazy busy, and it's also overwhelming to try and sort through all the pictures I have and pick the most important, which I know is a lame excuse...I hate that excuse, it seems just so shallow. But it's all I've got, because I feel totally inadequate for being consistent about this blog.

But whatever! I'm going to go with it, and hope for the best! I think it's just overwhelming for me to try and put my life onto a short blog post when I feel like my life is so much more dramatic than it actually is. It's difficult for me to find the words that describe all of the crazy emotions I deal with all the time, and who I really am as a person. I feel pretty terrible about it.

And also, when I put pictures with posts, I feel like I want to put a ton of them, when I guess I don't actually need all of them. It's just my nature to be really detailed I guess, and I'm still getting used to it. It's kind of rough though, so please bear with me.

....I guess I should mention that along with being busy, of course I have had some "episodes" of bad health, as my mom calls them. I had a panic attack last Sunday during a concert!! of all places..agh. It wasn't pleasant. And then I had another one this Sunday. Along with yet another new symptom of my rare disease that I affectionately call "Filmore." The list of problems seems to be growing a little too fast for my liking...but I don't think I actually have a rare disease, there I'm just being dramatic again :)

But anyways. You don't want to know about that. I'll just say that the past couple weeks have been crazy because there's a lot going in and out of school. I have the AP U.S. History exam next week, and have been doing some crazy awesome studying with my best buds, Christine, Josh, and Luke. We always make food, so it's really fun...but it's also productive, don't worry!! :)

Also, I had my first OFFICIAL date, which was fun...
Plus!! Heidi is home! OH, it's joyful. She brings so much happiness in my life. I have been holding up much better since she came home, and we have been alternately boosting each other up as needed. It is most definitely worth it to have to share my room again, and not have enough room in my drawers for clothes again (because she took the other half when she came home). She's just awesome. Besides, her Despicable Me  ringtone is therapeutic for me every time I hear it. Since she has been home, I have learned at least one important lesson from her, but one of the most prominent goes like this:  Unicorns, I love them, unicorns, I love them.. :)

So that's where I am right now. Hopefully the busy-ness won't peak too much more before the school year ends, because I don't know how much more of this I can handle. Obviously my physical AND emotional health is failing me. Oh well. It's life. You gotta love it.

And lastly, I have to mention that I have been saddened by a recent realization that when Luke, Josh, and my bro, Sam, leave, my heart will pretty much break. I can't believe they're graduating!! They have become my best friends, my siblings, my mental support team, and my joy every day. They always make me laugh. They make life interesting, and fun. I have enjoyed school at least 83% more this year because of them, which means that school has become almost better than being home. I love these guys, and wish them the best for all of their futures!!
But...I will miss them tremendously.

So, that's it for now. As soon as I have a sane minute to upload pictures from Carnegie, and the mental strength to tackle trying to describe the amazing-ness of that experience, I will definitely update about that. But for now, it's CRAM CRAM CRAM for the AP TEST!!!! (oh, and also planning for my half-birthday. SOOO STOKED about that! :)

It's gonna be a crazy awesome two weeks!

And also...I'm definitely obsessed with Peanut Butter. Just thought that might be important to mention.. :)

The Time Is Come

Well folks, we are almost there. All of the planning we've been doing-the coordinating, signing of documents, violin-equipping, preparing, practicing, concerts, fundraising-is all about to come together.

We are leaving for our flight tomorrow night..or actually very early in the morning Sunday, if you want to be technical. It's here! In two days, I will be in New York City! :)

I can't even believe it..it's kind of overwhelming. But I know it will all work out, and that we will do our best. Plus, we're going to have a lot of fun along the way!

By the way, the weather's going to be in the 60's and 70's and sunny all the time we'll be there!! We're so lucky. It's raining pretty hard here, actually for the first time in a while. Of course, the weather will not be predicted. So stubborn...that's why it's Medford.. haha.

So it's packing time for me! We have to start today so we're not rushing too much at the other end. It's going to be a stressful process. I hate packing because I'm always afraid I'll miss something, and I always have to write it down, or I'll drive myself crazy thinking of all the things I need. Plus, we'll be doing some last-minute shopping, which, I have to admit, I resent, and that should be interesting.

And with performances and events to go to, we need a few extra items, too. It's just going to be a crazy couple of days, but it will be worth it. And maybe I'll even get some sleep!

Well. I will take a ton of pictures, and I will definitely have fun!!

So that's it then.

 I'm off to New York City!!!

MARCH IS HERE!!

Well the month of the countdown has finally arrived!! I can't even believe that in 15 days, I will be walking the streets of New York City. It's crazy.. So I am definitely excited!! Also, we are halfway through the 3rd quarter, and that's crazy too cause that means I am almost 3/4 done with my sophomore year! It has been a great one, too, by the way :)

 

I have been really busy, as usual, and I have been having a lot of fun. But I have also been trying to practice more than ever these past few weeks because I needed to be officially perfect with two more songs for Carnegie, and Faina has been relentlessly scaring mom and I when we go to lessons.

We hadn't been doing well, even though we had practiced more than usual. So for the past two weeks, we practiced for a ridiculous amount..and it just put more pressure on us. We were so nervous about being perfect for these three pieces.

And today...today, we went to our third to last lesson before Carnegie. And we nailed it. Totally nailed it. It was so amazing. Such a good feeling to finally succeed after all of that stress, and uncertainty. We will still keep working, for sure, but now we are at peace that we have improved so much, and I'm so grateful that we get to do this! 

I also had my first B on a test this week!!!! Quite the experience..it was a "Miller Test", and you would have to know him to appreciate this. But I am not mad about it, because I was gone for a couple days the week before, and didn't quite understand everything. Also, he did put a really hard problem on there which most people missed, myself included.

It was a learning experience, though, because I know the things I did wrong, and when we had the quiz that covered things that were on the test the next week, I got 100%!!! (Okay, I did miss 1/2 a point, but that wasn't anything significant. I just didn't multiply the final answer of one thing. I basically got it, though.). 

Besides that one, I have gotten totally 100% on EVERY single quiz he's given, and an A on every test, so I'm pretty proud of myself. It's a hard class...

And lastly, I have a video here. My adorable little brother Spencer is quite the animated little fun child. I'm convinced he could be a great actor if he wanted to. This all came about because the other night, I heard him talking to himself in the living room. 

So I went in there, and saw him rehearsing a play for a little performance they were doing in his class the next day. I had the brilliant idea to record it so we could have this memory, and have his priceless acting on camera. It is adorable, and I just thought I would share it with the world!!  

So, here is my 10-year-old brother Spencer, with his version of "King In The Kitchen" :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rSdD3A_Yqws

Well, there you have it. And don't forget, 14 days until CARNEGIE HALL!!!! 

 

:)