Low Blood Pressure?

I have a confession to make. I take too many pictures. I'm kinda in love with said pictures. I don't know where to keep them all and I'm suuuuper oooober afraid of losing them all. So I think I'll put some on here while I'm thinking about it. Also was told I had low blood pressure the other day at my check-up for baby #4. I feel SUPER tired today. Is it just a combination of the grey skies, pregnancy and life? Or do I actually need to do something to fix low blood pressure? *Shrug*?!

Love,

-Amber

Asceticism

"Asceticism (/əˈsɛtɪsɪz(ə)m/; from the Greek: ἄσκησις áskēsis, "exercise" or "training") is a lifestyle characterized by abstinence from worldly pleasures, often pursuing spiritual goals. Many religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and some Christian groups (for example, the Desert Fathers) include practices that involve restraint with respect to actions of body, speech, and mind. The founders and earliest practitioners of these religions lived extremely austere lifestyles, refraining from sensual pleasures and the accumulation of material wealth. They practiced asceticism not as a rejection of the enjoyment of life, or because the practices themselves are virtuous, but as an aid in the pursuit of physical and metaphysical health. They eschewed worldly pleasures and led an abstemious lifestyle."
-Thank-you Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asceticism

Things in life don't always turn out like you plan them.  When change happens, you either learn how to hit the curve ball, or you strike out.  Sometimes, I'll admit, I strike out.  BUT the past few weeks I've made some decisions to take over my life, and not leave it to the winds of change, but instead, learn to be flexible and "exercise" or "train" myself to be strong spiritually, mentally, physically, and otherwise.  This is where asceticism comes in. 

I am taking a world religion's class at Brigham Young University in Idaho where we learn a lot about the good things in other religions.  In connection with this, and with some strong impressions left upon me by people I have met here in Rexburg, I've decided to do a series of "fasts," you could call them.

Last week was a music fast.  I did not listen to the radio or to normal pop, country music, no not even oldies.  Instead, I occasionally listened to Christian music or instrumental music.  But I rarely listened to this other kind of music as well. 

I have done the music fast for a week once before, and of course on my mission for a year and a half.  This took me back to mission times and in some ways that felt really good.  In other ways, I really missed my music.  I missed occasionally looking up a song that I had stuck in my head, or turning on the radio as I drove from place to place. 

I noticed that I have become sort of re-attached to music after my mission, and as much as I absolutely love music, it isn't something that should be a priority in my life.  I also realize how music has an influence on you for good and for bad.  There are underlying tones in music that really can change your mood, or make you in a mood-less state, rather, where you are sort of numb to the world around you.  Music can distract and waste time.  However, good music can inspire, lift, elevate, and drive you to be a creator, or to understand yourself better as you write your own music.

I challenge you to try this fast for one week.  Especially if you are a music lover, like me.  But do the fast with a purpose in mind.  I wanted to be closer to the Spirit and understand how to act in some decisions I've been making.  I also wanted to get work done quickly and efficiently because I am really low on time (like the rest of us, right?).  I would say that I did gain profounder insights, my scripture study was better, I realized some things that needed to be done in my life, and I also got a lot more done.  Especially on Saturday when I had a lot more open, unscheduled time.  I also learned once again how GRATEFUL I am for MUSIC!  I woke up this morning and listened to "Irish Girls are Pretty" by the Proclaimers, the Mormon Tab singing the Olympic Fanfare Theme Song, and "Best Day of My Life" by American Authors on YouTube :).

The next fast I'm doing this week is more of what some people call a "cleanse" - it's a five day plan based on what you can and can not eat.  I'll give you a quick run down of what it will look like, and you can come back later to read about that experience:

Day 1 (Sunday): Eat only fruits, vegetables, and nuts... unless nuts are vegetables... haha...
Day 2 (Monday): Drinking only - juices, or you can juice things
Day 3 (Tuesday):Nothing - straight up fast
Day 4 (Wednesday): back to drinking only - juices, juicing things
Day 5 (Thursday): Eat only fruits, vegetables, and nuts...

AND I'm going to reward myself Thursday night by going out to ice cream... maybe not the best idea...
BUT

Goals for this fast:
Learn self discipline.
Learn more about health and what nutrients my body needs and doesn't need.
Learn more about foods (and what is considered a fruit and a vegetable).
Realize how grateful I am that I can eat the food that I'm not eating.
Be grateful I'm a Mormon, and that God is cool with me eating other food...haha...
Try to clear myself of any yucky foods or things that may be in my body so that I can get back on some sort of level playing ground with chemicals in my head and body.  I want to feel clean and healthy and happy.  This also includes repenting and really trying to rid myself of bad habits and negative thoughts. 

I already am learning so much and I'm only on day two of this fast!

Stoked for General Conference

It's that time of year again, folks!  I'm excited for General Conference!

This week I got to hang out with mission buddies... I'll tell you, it's so fun!  I also got to eat a delicious burger with delicious fries and a raspberry cheesecake shake!  YUM!
 

 I'm stoked for the end of the semester, in terms of classes... not so stoked about other changes coming...but things will be okay and all things shall work together for our good, right?  Right!

 

This is my relief society in the 21st Ward :) yay!

I have been thinking about it lately, how I hope that I can be worthy of more and more promptings as I follow through more and more consistently with promptings I already receive. It's slightly intimidating too, though, because then you really just need to put your mind aside and have the mind of God, the mind of Christ.  It's also awesome, though!

Something I learned this week was that "Sacrifice is ultimately a matter of the heart." from an October 2002 General Conference talk.  It's so true!  I think that when we really are consecrating ourselves and doing what God wants us to do, we are sacrificing our will and doing it because we LOVE Him.  I know that 1 Nephi 3:7 is true, God doesn't give us anything we can't handle... and He WILL guide you, so trust him!

Something funny that happened this week... was when our bishop told a story in church today about how once when he was bishop of his home ward, a little kid came into him all sad like and said that his dog died, the bishop, not thinking ahead, said, 'well, dog gone!' something like that - haha...oh boy...

I got closer to my roommates this week by staying at home for once on the weekend... yep, didn't have any plans Friday OR Saturday night... one of my roommates even commented, 'This is weird to have you home on the weekend, Amber...'  I replied with, 'Yes, it's weird for me too...but good for me... I think...'

 

Ah, fetch!  I just remembered that we didn't take pictures!  Why didn't we take pictures! I was with Elder Szymanski and Siostra Ellis and then with the Lenharts this week and we didn't take any pictures!  Lame.  I promise it happened, though... maybe I can find some other pictures that are sorta fun...to make this blog more interesting:

Kamber and Amber :) driving back to rexburg!

This is my favorite place in Rexburg!  It's HOME! :) :)

When I'm 102...

Good evening! Or good morning!  Or good afternoon!

I really have been horrible at updating this blog.  But I'm not too worried about it.  The way I figure, there are more important things than updating a blog, and if I've been doing those things, it's okay. 

This weekend, I was able to go down to Utah to attend the baptism of my cousin!  She was so pretty in her white dress and so excited to get baptized.  She had so much support too!  I loved being there, and being around family.  I always love to go home to see my brothers.  I love how they love you!  Right when I got home, the boys ran up to me and gave me big hugs, "AMBER!!!!" they shouted!  Ah, man.  Love.  It feels so good.

I got tons of great food while I was down in Utah as well.  My mom made homemade chicken noodle soup with these heavenly garlic breadsticks.  Oh man... my mouth is watering just thinking about this stuff!  And then we had sandwiches at Enos and Julie's house.  Meatballs, cheese, yummy bread.  They even had artichoke dip!  And strawberries!  And pineapple!  Yum... You know you are a college student when free food is the high-light of your weekend.  I pretty much enlarged my stomach eight times... and tomorrow I'm going to probably be abnormally hungry... Oh well...

Nephi and Katherine gave me a ride down to Utah and my dad came and picked me up at about Bountiful.  then we went back North to pick up some chain-link fence materials, my dad was hauling a huge long trailer with the big yellow Ford we have.  So we get to this guy's house, and he comes out - he's quite the character, long beard, tattoos everywhere, cigarette... and he immediately said, 'you guy's have got a trailer from h.e.(double hockey sticks)!' haha... oh man... I like this guy.  I also feel bad for him.  He dropped the F bomb like 8 times while we were there.  Dad backed in the trailer and I helped them haul the long poles and the rolls of chain-link onto the trailer.  It was good to work with my hands.  I love being outdoors and working with my hands and using my back.  I think I get that from working on the ropes course and helping my dad all growing up.  Oh man, so fun.  Then this guy's mom comes outside, I mean this guy is probably in his 30's so his mom is a grandma, but she's not ancient or anything... Anyways, I start talking to her and felt prompted to just talk about the church with her.  So I got around to asking if she was Mormon, and by the end of our conversation, I gave her a big hug, and told her she ought to go back to church sometime, that it would help her grandchildren.  It was such a fun experience!  I got so giddy!  I want to be a missionary!!! ALL THE TIME!  And man, she took it so kindly and agreed with me and... you know you are always worried about if they are going to be mad at you or something, but it just went fine!

Another crazy experience this week was when I met these two older men in the temple who are just characters! And the one is 102 years OLD!  He gave me his business card, invited me to his birthday party in May out in Star Valley, Wyoming... and asked if I'd like to go four wheeling sometime... WHAT!  :) haha... so cool.

I got a job doing free-lance writing recently, and I am praying that God will help me do well so that I can get published.  Man, the adventures.  And I'm hoping to get a job at the ropes course here at BYU-Idaho this Spring and Fall semester.  I would LOVE THAT!  :) :) :)  Oh  pray, pray, pray.  I'm also excited to move to a new place and start a new semester... in like 3 weeks!!  Time flies... 3 weeks is still a long time though, there are some things that need to get done.  Some people that still need to be served!  And some grades that need improving! :)

Among other things, I really need to change my attitude about certain things in my life and I'm looking forward to changing them more this week.  I have a goal to write one song this week... I haven't really written an entire song since I've been back from my mission... it's been really stressful feeling like I can't write, but I've got to just sit down and bust it out, so I'll be praying about that this week... and I'm also going to be studying about how I can think less about myself.  It seems like "selflessness" is a theme I need to improve on... which then I feel like usually comes back around to "self confidence."  I must be doing something wrong, I think you should be able to have self confidence and be selfless at the same time... but I feel like I do a teeter-totter thing - back and forth between the two.  I'm pumped to face the challenge though.  I'm looking forward to conference, to devotional this week, and to the fact that I have nothing planned, at the moment, for this weekend.  I kind of want to keep it that way.  Get some stuff done for a change.  - I'm the type that likes to pack it all in... Go big or go home.  Knowing me, I'll probably end up having a busy weekend again anyways.  And so it goes...

I'm loving Rexburg.  My city with the light upon the hill - the temple!  I just love this city.  :)  I enjoy being here and I feel safe here and... aw man.  Life is good.

Anyways,
I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is TRUE!  I'm so grateful for a loving Savior who has my back.  I'm grateful for our prophet, Thomas S. Monson.  I'm grateful for friends who remind me who I am and who build me up, and who point me towards more celestial things.

Until next time,
-Amber

Has Anybody Told You You're Beautiful?

It's been a while...I haven't posted in a couple weeks...almost a month!  I probably won't say much on this post either... But this song has really been a support for me today.  I heard it last night for the first time and have probably listened to it fifteen times already.  ("Beautiful For Me" by Nichole Nordeman). Sometimes, even in the darkest hours, God has a way of telling you that you are beautiful.  He's amazing..and some how he loves me despite all the things I can't do and all the things that are wrong with me.  How does he do it?

 

http://youtu.be/orc4TuIO56s

 

Peace.

       Have you ever thought of peace as a Christ-like Attribute?  As I was thinking about which Christ-like attribute I wanted to exemplify this week, the word peace kept coming to mind.  I thought about Christ and how He faced His persecutors and how He forgave His debtors and those who hated Him and hung Him on a cross.  I thought about how he said, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid." (John 14:27).  I think that inside and outside, Christ was a very peaceful man.  He gave the world peace.  He is the Prince of Peace.  What does that mean for me?  How can I be more peaceful?  
       It's crazy, pretty much every time, consistently, that I choose a christ-like attribute, there is a devotional or a talk in church or something in my scripture study that just relates SUPER well.  This week, the devotional at BYU-Idaho was just what I needed.  It came at a time when I wasn't feeling very peaceful, and needed some peace.  If you go to http://web.byui.edu/devotionalsandspeeches/speeches.aspx you can listen to Sister Swenson's devotional address as MP3 file.  I believe later it will be in a video format as well.  It is SOooo good!  I know that Christ wants us to be peaceful inside and that he wants us to not fear or be worried, but simply believe.  He wants us to have faith that all things we go through will be for our good.  My second mission president, President Edgren, told us about how at one point in his life he came to the realization that he should STOP WORRYING and only PONDER.  There is a big difference.  Pondering is peaceful.  Worrying is not.  What can you do in your life to share that peace the gospel brings? How can you help others feel peaceful when they are... in common terms... freaking out. :)
       I think having a scripture at the ready is helpful to bring peace.  I think simply believing in the best possible outcome, and sharing positive, uplifting thoughts can bring peace.  Once again, the TEMPLE is a place where peace reigns.  We can go to the temple often to bring a peace into our lives that otherwise just can not be.  Peace comes from living the commandments.  Peace comes from trusting our Father in Heaven.  I love peace!  I will continue to strive to have peace in my life.
       This week was fun, here are some highlights:
       Monday for Family Home Evening, my group up at BYU-Idaho watched the Olympics and the boys bought pizza and we had hot chocolate and cup-cakes as well.  It was a hoot.  It was fun to watch the olympians.  They are so amazing!
       On Tuesday a boy in my fourth grade class (I have a college class that has me in the schools 2 hours every Tuesday and Thursday) asked me when I was leaving them.  I only have about a week left, and I told him that.  He said, "Well that sucks!"  It was so funny.  (I don't usually say that word, but I guess quoting a fourth grader saying it about me feels alright...haha)... It feels good to be loved. The kids are trying to guess my first name because as of right now they only know me as 'Miss Allen.'  On Thursday they told me that I looked like a Chelsea.  Interesting.  :) They are so cute.  I love my fourth graders.
       On Wednesday, my family came into town for my dad's cousin's wedding.  Laura Mumm got married on Thursday and had her reception the day before.  She looked so pretty and she MADE here dress! Awesome!  I've always looked up to her, she just seems so cool!  
       On Thursday I had three basketball games!  We lost the first two and won the third by the skin of our teeth.  It was pretty intense.  And since I injured my right knee last Saturday playing sports, I was grateful that it held strong all the way through the night.  So fun!  I love basketball... but you already knew that.
       Friday I drove down from Rexburg with some friends and found myself in Provo again!  It's weird to be here in Provo, after being gone for just a month and a half.  But it's also so good to be back.  I love the location of my home in Provo, it's so gorgeous here!  I love being with my little brothers and seeing my Provo friends.  I am so grateful to be able to live at least this close to home! :)  Don't know when I'll get back down here again, but I love it.  I also miss Rexburg in some ways!  Which is good!  That means I'm really enjoying it up there.  Yay! 
      Saturday I played basketball with friends in Provo.  I started reading 'Ender's Game' (Ender's dad is POLISH! Cool!)  Then I watched James and Luke's basketball games.  Then we went out to eat for James' birthday dinner that they postponed.  I've been eating like a queen.  I love it!  That's another positive thing about coming home for long weekends!  Free food! :)  We watched the BYU Basketball game - Go Cougs!  We won!  Then we watched October Sky.  Awesome.  I want to do something awesome this week, like inspiring!  October Sky was a pretty inspiring movie.
       So here we find ourselves on Sunday, and I love Sundays.  They are full of peace!  I need to decide which Christ-like attribute to do next week, got to decide soon!  James, Luke, and Hyrum are all writing in their journals.  I think Spencer is taking a nap.  The sun is going down, and it's just so pretty out here!  Life is good to me.  
       I hope you know that I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is TRUE!  Live it, love it, believe it. :)
      Till next time,
            - Amber Allen

Things I learned in Personal Study:

Here's just a few things I'm learning in Personal Study this morning:

Preach My Gospel, page 137 says, "You are assigned to do the Lord's work in a specific area.  He wants you to watch over your area with love and great care.  Your purpose is to help others come unto Him."  That TOTALLY goes for me, here in Rexburg.  I know I'm pretty much assigned to be here in Rexburg and for me I feel as though it's to do the Lord's work still!  I'm stoked about that!  So grateful that I felt like I need to come up here and SO glad I've gotten to meet the people I'm  meeting.  I love Rexburg and the people here.

I also watched a Mormon Message about doing family history work.  In it, an apostle says that family history work has a "refining influence" on those who do it.  I am excited to do more Family History work and I encourage you to do it too!  It can get frustrating at times and it does seem to take a lot of time, but I know it will be so worth it in the end.

P.S. I LOVE THE TEMPLE! :) It's my refuge, and I feel at home and at peace there.