Moonlight

Sometimes your heart just needs to cry.  Your eyes well up until they spill, teardrops gliding gently down your cheeks.

You're not sad.  Just being.

You can not "be" without "being."

You are real.  You break.  You wish.  You dream.  You hurt.  You want.  You act.  You wonder.  You doubt.  You long.  You question.  You trust.  You are.

You are.

Tell me that you have never looked at the sky above and stopped breathing.

Tell me that you have never asked God, as your father, if he really exists.

Tell me that you have never dreamed of romance, of finding that one true love.

Tell me that you have never doubted what you already know to be true.

Tell me that you have never slipped up or made a mistake.

Tell me that you have never wanted to rewind, felt that pang of regret.

Tell me that you have never longed for something, knowing that it's not good for you.

Tell me that you have never wished selfishly.

Tell me that you have never examined your brain, looking for you.

Tell me that you have never listened to your thoughts as they race through your mind.

Tell me that you have never desired to stop.

To just stop for one moment.

To Breathe. 

To Feel.

To Be.

Really?

Whoever decided that it was legal to get SICK during the Summertime?

I thought that was impossible.  

Especially for me.  I never get sick.  

GAH!

(By the way--I love my life :)

Faith

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

--Doctrine and Covenants 84:88

He is the Way.  The Only Way.

My Heart is His.

freedom |ˈfrēdəm|

nounthe power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or restraint

I love Abigail Howe.  Words can't explain how much I missed her.Recently, we've been spending alot of time together.  [This week especially since her show is over.] She is one of my favorite people to talk about religion with.
Anyone who knows me, knows that my religion, my faith, my standards, my beliefs: define who I am.   They make me, ME.
Last night, Abbey and I attended a Poway Interfaith presentation about the Mormon Church and the Roman Catholic Church.  There was a presentation on the basic beliefs of both churches and then a Question and Answer period afterwards.  At the end of the Q&A period, a older Jewish man stands up and says "I'm going to take the liberty to make a comment rather than a question."  He goes on to explain how blessed we are to live in this time.  To live in this day and age when we can calmly and openly discuss such different religions, with minds of tolerance and understanding.  
I had been thinking the same thing throughout the meeting and this older man's comment called my mind to serious reflection.  I have SO much.  The founders of this country, this great nation, came for religious freedom.  Religious persecution has and will continue to be a trend throughout the ages.  The cause of wars, rebellions, revolutions.  But more than that, religion is the cause of peace, joy, faith and hope.  In a troubled world, we need our faith more than anything.  We may not agree on details or specifics, but we can and must agree on one thing.  Jesus Christ is the son of God, and our Saviour and only through Him can we be saved. 
Men are free according to the flesh.  (2 Nephi 2:27)  Men have the gift agency.  Though this agency grants us the freedom to choose we must remember that it was NOT free.  Christ paid the price.  Christ suffered in Gethsemane.  He bled from every pore.  He died on the cross.  And what's more, He resurrected on the third day.  He gave us our freedom.  
I find this freedom when I feel the Spirit.  I exercise this freedom when I act on promptings of the Spirit.  All of God's children are entitled to receive revelation for themselves, thus, personal revelation.  My prayer is that we might not take for granted this unmerited gift.  That rather, we might exercise our own freedom, ask of God, and become His servants.
I am not perfect.  But I am free.  And I choose God.  I choose Faith.  I choose Joy.  I choose Peace.

I'm Home

I was freaking out.  Super nervous.  Scared Even.

I am SO happy to be home.  

It's taken a while.  Some readjustment.  No.  LOTS of readjustment.  But the Lord has again put me to work and I am doing my best to lose myself through selfless service to Him.

I have the BEST of friends.  People who really care about me.  Family who loves me unconditionally.

I do miss those who I love who are still in Mexico.

My Mexico experience was the greatest blessing.  One that I will never, ever forget.  Thus the name of this blog will continue to me "Mexico and Me." 

"And More...<3"

Life will go on past Mexico.  I have college ahead of me.  A world of wonders.  A mission of my own.  A family of my own.  A life completely my own.

I don't ask that you to continue to read this blog.  I can't assure frequent updates.  But I can and do promise       that I need to write.  This is my expression.  This is my form of being.  This is what I believe.  It is (and should be) different from what you believe, how you find peace and means of expression.  But these fingers,

my fingers, 

as they type away words

and pages

and ages

of life,

my life

will be here.

Will be ticking away at this keyboard, 

as on

ticks

the clock

of life.

I'm Home. 

My heart

is Home.

And I'm not going anywhere.

Reflections

I'm finally coming home.

Today.

That time flew by so quickly.

At first I was scared, nervous.  Five months is a long time and people can really change.  I don't know what it expected of me, if I have measured up to the expectations, if people will but me in this box of who I was and try to crush all that I have gained.  I LOVE the Mexican people, the Latino people.  They have such a huge part of my heart it cannot be suppressed.  I have grown up.  I have lived on my own for almost five months.  My love for those at home has not decreased, but augmented tremendously.  I can not wait.

How can all this emotions be mixed into one?

It's something we call "bittersweet."

Another word for it is "Life."

Change and Progression.  Touch the lives of as many people as you can and move on when the time is right.  Do God's will and share Hid love to the fullest degree possible.

"Home is where the heart is."

That's the one that keeps getting me.  How can my heart be split into so many different places?

   For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

--Matthew 16:25  

I'm ready.  

I AM coming home.

Adventures with Karina

This weekend I finally had the experience of leaving campus for the weekend with someone other than my Grandparents. I was able to leave with Karina Pastor Castillo. It was SO fun.

I ate many delicious things.

I felt like I was playing with Karina again, because we enjoyed our eating SO much. :)

Saturday we went to Six Flags with Lizelot(I have NO idea how to spell her name), Geraldo, Arturo, Chucho Macoy and Chuchote. I bet you didn’t know there was a Six Flags in Mexico City. I went on Superman, and two different Batman rollercoasters, developed a fear of clowns, one called Medusa…I’m sure the rides at Six Flags in the States are better, but I still really enjoyed it.

I also got to go on a fantastic adventure called the Metro. I felt like I was in a movie. Everyone was running. It was awesome. And then more than half the people inside are standing up holding on to a pole wherever you can and you have about half a centimeter of bubble space. Then when it comes to a stop, you force your way through people and jump out the door like a superhero, or like the train in Anastasia or something.

Saturday night on the way home from Six Flags we stopped at a Taco Shop because Karina insisted that I had to try something. We got up there and she asked for a Gringa and the man behind the “counter” immediately gave me a funny looked. I couldn’t help but laugh, but it was a really yummy taco.

Sunday we went to church at 1:00, giving lots of time in the morning to eat about 7 bowls of cereal. I realized something though, and it must be the same in all big families. It doesn’t matter how late church starts, or how early you get up in the morning, you are always RUNNING out the door.

I played the Piano in Sacrament Meeting. Very Scary. I sightread two of the hymns I played.

Sorry. I have to leave this one unfinished. Soon enough, I will not have a time limit on Email.

ONE WEEK FROM TOMORROW!