I believe in the basic principle of karma, that good encourages more good. However, I also believe that bad things (unfortunately) happen to good people. I think that actual karma does not exist, but the idea that if you do something good, more good will ensue is quite evident. This is shown through the movie "Pay It Forward." Do one nice act, and hopefully that niceness will be passed on. And I believe that is true. When people are nice to me, I am more likely to have a nice attitude toward others. The oppisite is true as well; if people are negative toward me, I am more likely going to have a negative attitude. But I don't think this prinicple is controlled by an essence know as karma, but it is simply a priniciple of human nature.

On the other hand, bad things do happen to good people. So it seems...There are people on this earth who are seen as "good," and people who are seen as "bad." But we all know that nobody is perfect. So do bad things happen to "good" people, or do bad things happen to "not so bad" people? No one is perfect and consequently, bad things happen in this world that will affect us all, good or bad, in one way or another.

I love coming home after being gone for a long time, and opening the door to a warm, inviing house full of the scent of candles and good home cooked food!

People who are loving and slow to judge are much easier to be with than people who are not. People who are uptight and always concerned about themselves are not easy to be with because it is hard to relax around them. Whern you feel like you can be yourself around someone, you feel more at peace and they are easy to be with. Also, having someone else care for you is one of the nicest feelings, so when you know someone cares for you, it is much easier to be around them.

To me, prayer is talking to God. I believe that God is supernatural, greater than all human beings, and the creator of our universe in everything in it. Consequently, I believe that god has greater power than me, and I am not able to live life and overcome obstacles on my own. Therefore, I constantly pray to God, meaning I speak to Him, voice my concerns, meditate on His word, listen to His direction, and fulfill His purpose. The more I pray, the more secure I feel!

-content
-productive
-relaxed

I am reading the Twilight series right now. I thought it was so ridiculous when I first heard about the books. A vampire love story? Seriously? But when one of my best friends told me she was obsessed, I just had to know what the excitement was all about. Plus you can't knock something until you try it, right? So I started reading Twilight. It was not amazing, but it wasn't bad either. And now that I started, I feel like I have to finish it. It is pretty entertaining though!

Grow up.
Stop getting brought down by the ridiculous things.
Learn to do things for yourself.
There are brighter days to come.

-Waking up to discover that one of my roommates has already brewed a hot pot of coffee.
-A good book.
-A big sweater on a cold day.
-Finding cute clothes on sale.
-A touching sermon at church.
-Getting a letter in the mail.
-Making my bed.
-Biking places instead of driving.

Driving home up the coast of California a few days ago, it was raining. So it was a mixture of clouds and sunshine and rain and ocean. The creation was just breathtaking =] There were rainbows everywhere and everything was green and full of life. I loved the view during the 6 hour drive home.

When I am healthy and worry free!

I think the best way to give your time is to spend it doing something you are passionate about. You could do a lot of work for worhy causes, but if you do not believe in what you are doing, or if you do not care about it, your time could be better sent elsewhere. Find something you are pasionate about, and devote your time to that. Working toward something you believe in makes the work you are doing so much more benifical to you and the people you are helping.

I met Jake on a missions trip this past summer. Even though he lives in Boise, ID and I live in Santa Barbara, CA, we are still together despite the distance. Meeting someone while you are both doing something you are passionate about and devoted to creates a solid bond on which to found a relationship.

One big happy family!

The lovely smells of the season! Gingerbread, pine trees, fresh mountain air, hot chocolate, apple cider, ham...it just all smells so good. And all of these smells are so nostalgic!

My family who is always there for me, and my friends who are always at my side. In this season of consumerism, it is great to appreciate things like this that cannot be purchased with any amount of money. I consider myself truly blessed by the people around me.

My future has been motivating me recently. When I think of all I have been blessed with in my life, it leads me to think about what I can do with it all to give back and share. After I graduate college, I want to attend graduate school to become a special education teacher. In order to do this, I have to work very hard in my undergraduate classes and at my job and extracurricular activities that will help me get into graduate school. At times I get really stressed or tired, but then I remember my future goal and everything is put into perspective.

My four year old brother cuddling up to me and asking me to read him a book =] Children are so prescious!

There are a lot of things in the world that I am afraid of, and during 2008 I faced a lot of those fears and it was a very liberating feeling. I was terrified by the thought of a committed relationship becuase of all the pain that I had seen failed relationships bring friends and family members. But when I found a loving and compassionate man, I decidded to put aside my fears and we have been together now for 6 months. I also used to be horribly afraid of public speaking, but after being elected vice president of my sorority, I was forced to speak in front of large groups of people. At first it was very challenging, but I have become increasingly more comfortable with it. I also got over my fear of airplanes and heights simply by just facing them and toughing it out. It is freeing to eliminate these fears in my life and I hope in 2009 I can keep pushing the limits!