One down, many more to go!

Yesterday I accomplished one of my life goals. I rode a long board. It was exhilarating, and very painful when I hit the pavement! I have some pretty sweet bruises to prove it! But I was so proud of myself! There are so many things I would like to do, like skydiving, para sailing, and hang gliding, as well as some not-so-thrilling ones, like visiting all inhabitable continents (four down, two to go!) and so many others! I have decided to let go of all my fears and inhibitions and do some fun things in my life! I am going to accomplish several while I spend the next year in Europe, visiting all the most famous museums, cathedrals, castles, and anything else that looks cool! If you happen to have any suggestions, let me know! I plan on visiting England, France, and Italy, and I hope to go to all Germany's neighboring countries as well, because they are close to where I'll be living. In the meantime, I have started a bucket list for my last semester here at BYU-Idaho. I want to do all the things I missed out on because I was anti-social for the first few years I was here. Some of those things on the list are: a bake-off, glow-in-the-dark hide-and-seek, whipped cream baseball, a bonfire, river floating, hiking the R, and anything else I think sounds fun! I want everyone who can to help me with this, and I hope to get it all done by July 23!

I Love Sundays!

Sunday is my favorite day of the week. The time I get to spend just relaxing from the rest of my life; school, worries, etc. I love being in the Relief Society Presidency, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to know all the girls in my ward. I find that having this time recharges me for the rest of the week, and reaffirms that I am a worthy child of God. I was thinking today about the fact that this will be my last semester at BYU-Idaho. All in all, I have had an amazing experience here, and I have grown so much! I feel like I know myself so much better, and I finally know what I am capable of. I went from an awkward roommate with very poor social skills to a fully capable adult. Of course, I still have so very much to learn, and I tend to still make things awkward for myself on a regular basis. However, I know I have come a long way! I am so grateful to those people who have helped me grow, and have stayed friends with me, even if I am strange sometimes :) I love the opportunites I have had here, and the lessons I have learned will stay with me for the rest of my life. As I leave this Desciple Training Center, my hope is that I will continue to improve and become more like Christ. I am ready for whatever life throws at me, and I know I will have devine help wherever I go. Recently I have had people ask me if I am scared to move to Germany, where I have no friends or family. I can honestly tell those people that I am not in the least bit scared. I know that no matter where I go, and no matter who I meet, the Gospel and the people that live by it are going to be there. That is such a blessing! To know that wherever I am, I will ahve a family. I love that! I am so excited to go on this grand adventure, and to share the gospel with those who have not heard it yet. Of course, I am not actually serving a mission, but I feel like I will have opportunities to share the Truth with others while I am living and working in Germany.

So, now that I have written a small novel, I'll finish!

Love, Sam :)

A New Beginning

Okay, so I fully expect absolutely no one to read this, but I wanted to be better at writing stuff down, and I am most often on the internet checking e-mail and such, so I though this would be a good outlet. Recently I have found myself reflecting on my life, and the choices I have made to get me to this point. All in all, I am pretty proud of how well I have done considering the trials and pitfalls that I have been through in my short life. But I have also realized that I have become complacent in my habits of scripture reading, praying, and the way I spend my free time (mostly wasting it!). This semester, the last one I will spend at BYU-Idaho, I've decided to change, and I have set some real goals for myself to accomplish. One reason for this is a new and wholly uexpected calling to be first counselor in my Relief Society presidency. Another reasoning for this renewed vigor is the realization that in a few short months I will be moving to a foreign country with no friends, no family, and very possibly no church members in the town I will live in. I have to be stronger than I am now in order to make it for a year without any support system at all. So here are my goals:

1) Attend the Temple at least once a week
2) Read my scriptures daily
3)Be more concious of those around me, and what I can do to help them
4) Pray more frequently, and do it right!
5) Be happy and confident

I hope that those who know me well will help me with these goals, and point out when I am faltering. I also hope that a marked difference will begin to appear in my countenance as I strive to do what the Lord would have me do. So far, I have been doing well, and hope to continue to do so!