Morals

Oh dear, It's late again... Oh well.

Well work is actually going well! (I haven't made too many mistakes recently and I think I'm actually starting to get it down which is a HUGE relief :) ) This past week my family (my mom, my dad, and I) all went to California to go see the Hearst castle (I have no idea how to spell that), Solvang (again spelling?), Disneyland :), and, after taking a day at home, we went to our cabin with Amelia, Pete, Audrey, Cameron, and Becca joining the crew (oh and Piper and Hazy). It was quite fun!

I actually think that my favorite part of the trip was listening to a talk on a few of the Founding Fathers and another CD about George Washington.

The talk on the Founding Fathers spoke about how our forefathers were not atheists and so on and there is actual proof of it in those men's own documents. The men back in those days wrote books and books about their lives and the times. (it was their version of television :). But, for some reason, we have decided that they didn't believe in God and that their constitution is basically obsolete to what our day requires of us. (Seriously??? Isn't truth supposed to be lasting?? It's true ALWAYS. If only part of it is true than it's not true!) Anyways, I learned quite a few things about a couple of the Founding Fathers from this interesting talk (I sadly can't remember who spoke... I could probably look it up, but I'm too lazy. I don't know where to look, and it's really late :P)

Anyways, have you ever heard of the Founding Father John Hart? I definitely never had. He was a family man. Loved his wife and adored his children. He had twelve kids in all and he also loved his farm. Anyways, he was an important man in (I think it was New Jersey) and did a couple of things like make that state's constitution or something along those lines?? (Perfect, go look it up yourself, then you'll know for certain :P) Anyways he signed the Declaration of Independence. So, the British, when they go to America, are ordered to find the signers and kill them, capture them, and get rid of them. They go on to New Jersey. John Hart is there and two neighbors run to his door and tell him that he has to get out of there now! He was too important to lose. He was home because he was nursing his ill wife back to health and it was almost time to tend to his crops. He didn't want to leave and refused them, but they insisted. He eventually fled into the woods and the British stormed his house. Seeing that he wasn't there, they assumed he went into the forest next to his house and were alluded by him for a whole year.

Well, eventually the British leave, tired of not being able to find him. (You have to imagine. He lived in caves, out in the wild, all alone for an entire year all because he signed an important document) So, he comes home and you want to know what he finds? His farm was burnt down to the ground. Horrified, he tries to find his wife but he soon learns that she was captured and died because of her sickness. He desperately searches for his children but they're gone as well. He never finds them and he eventually dies literally of a broken heart. I find that, so sad. And I never knew about his sacrifice until just the other day.

Here's another story that I found fascinating. Robert Morris (again someone I had never heard of before) signed the Declaration of Independence and was put in charge of financing the Revolutionary war. A war, where the men were basically broke, had no supplies, and no help... against the super power of the world?? Yeah, he did it. He gave away 10,000 dollars to the effort and funded it for I think three years?? (again look it up. I'm a naive girl. I get my information wrong from time to time :P) He went into debtors prison because he became broke. Lost all of his money and eventually died in a neighbor's home. Did he complain? No, he followed his word. I'd like to see someone in our government do that now. Spend all of his money simply because he said he would go against the world's super power. (yeah.... I don't think so...)

One more that almost brought me to tears when I listened to it. Why? Because it happened, and I never even knew of the sacrifice before. The man's name was Abraham Clark. He was a signer and was in congress all during the Revolutionary war. His two sons joined the effort and, sadly, were captured and put in a war camp. (The thing about that was that back in those days you didn't want to be in one of those camps. You'd stay alive longer out in battle against guns and bayonets than in the camp because you could die from starvation or sickness) The British spoke to Abraham Clark and gave him an option. They told him that if he renounced what he said, if he recant and came out for the Crown and Parliament they would let his sons go free. He said No. It would have been a lie and he refused to lie. All of those men, were men of integrity and they knew, they Knew what they were getting themselves into. They weren't idiots. Look it up, just look it up for goodness sakes it's there. We just have to seek it!

Well, I know what I'm going to do. This summer, I'm going to learn. I'm going to teach myself all that I can about the truth in this country and I'm going to prepare for the worst. Something will happen, we may not know all of the details, but I'm tired of being left in the dark. I'm tired of not knowing about my country. Thus, I'm going to make a stand and become what I need to be in these dark times. And I might post a few of my findings on here just for kicks :)

Good day to all of you and may you find peace in these hard times and see the good that is there. There is good, so much good. I can't believe that mankind has become so hardened and terrible that there is no hope. No, there is hope and there is light, we just have to seek it. In all things we must choose to do what will be done and never give up.

I Find It Sad

You know what I find sad, I find it sad that when I watch a movie like October Sky it makes me cry and want to come back to the old days where a nation is together and watches the sky for the Sputnick orbit. I find it sad that their greatest achievement is going to space and our greatest achievement is passing a healthcare bill that three out of four people didn't want.

The old America is where anyone can be whatever they want to be and the American dream is real. I find it sad that the media no longer speaks the truth about what's going on. I don't know much, but I feel it in my heart that America is in trouble. Simple, so how do we fix it? How do we lose the sick feeling that the government is screwing us over? I don't know very much, and as a matter of fact, I wish I did. I wish I wasn't so naive about my own country. I don't even know the name of Mesa's governor. I know squat nothing, except for the things that apply to me. Well, doesn't this country apply to me? Doesn't it apply to everyone? So shouldn't we know where we came from?

These are the times that try men's souls.

The Things One Learns

I find it interesting that there is so much that we can learn from others, especially from our family and friends. However, you actually have to be awake in the head in order to actually understand what they are trying to teach you. It makes me wonder how many people could have already helped with the things that I lack, but I've been too far out of it to pay attention.

For instance, I've gotten kind of lax on paying attention to people's conversations. Why? I don't know. My mind likes to imagine things while people are talking. I focus on stories that I can create or things that happened during the day (Which often happens while on road trips). I like looking at my surroundings, while I drive; it gives me inspiration. I can't do it while I'm driving myself (car accident) and when I'm with someone it's pathetically rude. I end up making people repeat their stories over and over because I wasn't paying attention. And sadly it happens even when I'm not on a road trip. (I'm sorry to anyone I have done that to in the past). I could say that I care about you very much, but if that were the case wouldn't I have paid attention to your story in the first place? A sad thought, but it's true. I do care, and I'm sorry that I have neglected to learn many of the basics of being social. My people skills (or lack thereof) are waning as well (not a good thing), because I've been a busy bee and don't like people! Not really :) I've just been working on the weekends and trying to keep up on my studying.

So what can different people teach me? Well, I have a super long list that I could put up here, but I'll save you from that and just say that I've got a lot to learn. And all of it's just a matter of getting off my lazy duff and getting to it and not being all pitiful and "woe is me" because I'm not perfect and make mistakes. This world would be a lot easier if we were the only ones living in it and were only focused on ourselves. Much simpler, and yet where's the fun in that? No family? No friends? No hang outs? Lame.

He never said it would be easy. He only said that it would be worth it. We're here to learn and become like God, but to do that, we have to have our hearts centered on Christ and our family. (Thanks to Sis. Westergard, I hope that's how you spell her name...) We also need to help others. But you can't help others until you help yourself. It's just a whole round thing that involves everyone and yourself, but, I figure, if I have my heart centered on Christ and my family, everything will fall into place.

So, I need to become a better listener. I absolutely stink at communicating (It's a weakness, but I'm ok with it; I can always work on it) but since communicating is my weakness, shouldn't I make listening one of my strengths? Silly me for not coming up with that sooner... Pride just loves to frustrate everything.

Well this is a first, it's not midnight!! Wonderful! I should practice on what I've said right now. My family has company over. :P Wish me luck!

Spring Break

Hmmm... It seems to be my priority to never sleep! Oh well, I'll live. Yay! My brother Cameron is happily married to Becca and they are now at the cabin enjoying their honeymoon :)

Today marks the start of a new beginning for me (I hope I can pull through it). I'm very tired of being self centered and self conscious! I'm ready to go out into the world and do some service, even if it means just helping out my mom with things that she needs to get done around the house, well then, so be it! I shall not fail! Or, at least, I'll try not to.

I read something really cute the other day while I was perusing the online site deviantart. (It's a site where artists and writers can become members, post their work, and receive feedback. In case you didn't know) And no, I'm not a member, but I do enjoy looking at other people's work and reading the stories on there. It gives me ideas for my own stuff. Anyways, it was a fan fiction about Alice in Wonderland (the old cartoon version by Disney) where Alice is older. It's a love story between her and the Mad Hatter.

An odd pairing? Oh certainly. But plenty of room for fun bickering and really cute stuff? MOST definitely and it's a drawn comic as well. The Hatter actually looks more human because it's based on the two actual people in Disney Land who are those characters. The writer works there. (Sadly it isn't finished... That's the main problem about deviantart... a lot of the writings aren't finished and sometimes people don't ever finish... frustration...)

Anyways, they're falling in love and in the very last scene written, the Hatter is serenading Alice at her window (which really bugged her initially) and tries to make her come down. She, at that point, is questioning if she really does have feelings for him and is debating on whether she should or not. It causes a lot of stress for her, so much so that the Hatter notices. He decides it would be best for them not to have an evening chat and decides to leave her be, but not before she gets the random urge to reach down and touch his fingertips. Then she slams the window shut and he falls down. :)

That, however, is not my favorite part. What I like about it is that in the story the narrator explains that 'you would think that he would have walked home that night and that's what Alice assumed and yada yada' but what she never finds out is that he grabs a stick, sits down against the wall and intends to protect her from any stranger, mad duck, or rabid bear that might come along (you'd have to read it to understand about the duck and bear) And then morning comes and he leaves.

Very romantic, not exactly realistic, but I just had the feeling that I want to find someone who would care for me like that. I need to be my best self so that I can find someone like that, because that's so sweet. I know it's not real. It's just a story, but even in a story anyone can take the advice from within and apply it to their own life. And so what I want to take from it is that I want to look my best, and be my best so that I can find the person who is right for me. He doesn't have to protect me from a rabid bear, or stay all night to make sure I'm safe. I just want to find someone good for me.

I wish all stories could make me feel like that. Not in the romantic sense, but make me want to be better and want to change myself because of it. Like in the movie "A Little Princess" (SUCH a good movie. It's the version made in 1995). It just makes you feel great, and it made me want to write stories that make people feel good, that teach you about hope and good values and permits a happiness at the end of the movie. I wish all movies and books were like that, where they bring out the best in people.

Anyways, in case you were interested in reading that cute little fan fiction, it's called "When Curiosity Meets Insanity".  http://curiousinsane.livejournal.com/ You might have to become a member of tumblr to read it, but it's so worth it :)

Winter Break

Oh I'm terrible... I stay up way too late. Oh well, Christmas was definitely enjoyable =] I got a new laptop (and I'm loving it!) and I got hired to be a waitress at a sushi restaurant which has definitely been interesting... We'll see how it goes.

I still have those choir shirts.... which isn't really good... My brother is getting engaged yay! School starts next week, tomorrow is the sabbath, and I need some sleep. Good night!