i believe

no, i'm not talking about santa clause. although i am a tid bit excited to become santa clause for the next several years. i'm talking about what i really believe in. which is why we even have this thing called christmas.

today in relief society the lesson was about exaltation. i got a lot from this lesson, but something i keep thinking about is that exaltation is a gift. a gift that we actually have to earn.

many people believe that if they except the Savior then they will gain exaltation. we as a church believe that we must except the Savior, but after that is when our work really begins.

this resonated with me strongly because i feel like it is true in every aspect of our lives. one example is in marriage. meeting that "someone", falling in love, dating, getting engaged and sealing the deal is all so exciting and can fill you with so much joy. but after that is when the real work begins. and sometimes it is really hard. just like life. to add to this sentiment i read this poem today on nieniedialouges and i felt that it was perfectly relevant.

"Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two."

-Louis De Bernieres

i guess i just want to say that i'm so glad we have to work for things that really matter. those things we really want and people we really want to be with. they deserve to be earned. if we were just handed everything, i don't think it would be special anymore. it would loose credibility, validity, and all that important stuff. 


work is good. 
i need to work harder.


ergo: my new year's resolutions are soon to come. i'm gettin deep here guys.