Nighttime ramblings.

Dang, I'm really REALLY not good at this whole blogging thing. But somehow I still get followers.....man, you people must really love me! I actually had it on my task list today to update this thing, and still failed. Mostly because it was a C priority, and there were a few B priorities of which I wanted to take care. As it is pretty late (usually it would be a good time for me at 10 pm but I've been actually getting tired early and therefore trying to get to sleep by 10...11 at the latest), I can't update this as much as I had hoped but will still ramble just a little bit while listening to the awesome music off of my sister's blog. She has some pretty good taste in music. And seeing as how we're pretty much twins born six or so years apart, makes sense that we would like the same entertainment to an extent. I'm still not sold on Twilight like she is though.

Oh man, I've had such adventures!! Weddings galore, Especially For Youth (no, I was not a participant!), world traveling. The last several months have been absolutely wonderful. Of course I had my low moments too, but who wants to hear about those?! Besides, the good totally outweighs the bad, as is always the case if you have the right perspective. Anyway, back on topic. The adventures have been grand, and the pictures don't do them justice. Just the same, I will post some pictures of the beautiful places I've been and the beautiful people I have met and visited. I will actually have them posted by Thanksgiving, while I reminisce of the great blessings I have received, particularly this last year, be they grand and adventurous or simple and small.

One quick thought before I go though. I was reading recently in my scriptures when I came across Alma 34. Amulek just finishes teaching us that we should pray unto the Lord in basically everything and everywhere and then tells us "Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you. And now behold, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance, if ye have, to those who stand in need - I say unto you, if ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith" (verse 27 - 28). My roommate used the same scripture in a lesson for family home evening tonight, and it hit me more fully how differently people see things. Studying psychology, and witness testimony and such, I knew that people saw the same thing differently. But for some reason I realized it more tonight. I think it's more what you need to hear is what you see, when it comes to scriptures. My roommate was focusing on how during this time we need to help the homeless and participate in food drives and what not because we've obviously been blessed with everything we need. My jerk reaction was that not all of us are in a position to give those few dollars to Salvation Army or buy food to give to those drives, because some of us are about to eat from our food storage and barely making enough to pay rent and bills each month, with very little left over. But then I thought I was just being sinical. During this time, my thoughts returned to when I was studying this same section of scripture when my mind was focused on the same phrases my roommate was drawing out...the "if ye turn away the needy, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance" (I just noted the "if ye have") and I began to ask: how often do we turn away the needy and hungry and naked? How often do we overlook them when they are roommates and friends because we either can't or don't want to believe that they could be in that state of life, whether they be needy/hungry/naked physically or, almost more importantly, spiritually. It's easy to see those physically in need and I would hope we all help when we can. But do we look to see those who are spiritually in need? Or do we overlook them? If we overlook them, we are as hypocrites and deny our faith.