DCP || Road to Disney

Sorry I haven't posted about Disney at all.  All the days blend together and I'm so busy.  But enough excuses.  Let's live in the now.

So first off, I had my road trip with my mom.  As you guys probably know, I had a lot of car problems in August, where I had no idea if I was going to have a car in Florida anymore or not.  I really wanted a car because I had heard stories about the the "public" College Program transportation.   But even by the week before I left, I had no clue what was going to happen. Several different cars came by and ended up not working out.  I was planning on leaving 3 days later and I still had no car. Finally, my family told me they found a car for me.  They wouldn't tell me anything about the car, as I had been helping out at Utah's Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, and didn't have time to help in the search.  So the next morning, when I had a little bit of time,  I was able to go sign papers and see the new car they got me.  I still kept begging them to give me some sort of clue or tell me the type of car, the model, or even the color.  Yet, they refused.  So, when I finally saw the car, it was a complete surprise!  I was all smiles.  It's an Electric Blue car.  And blue is my favorite color!  And the car itself is beautiful.  I am and was so happy.  I've named her Bella-a mix of Belle and Ella from Cinderella.

Now the road trip.  We left Utah Saturday morning.  Almost each of the hotels had something wrong.  One of the hotels gave us a room, where they hadn't cleaned it from before.  Another one I think had trouble with our reservation and then the key didn't work.  But, the last hotel, was Monday night, in Orlando, and it was fine.  The road trip itself was a lot of fun.  We took turns reading our favorite book aloud.  If you haven't read or heard of "Book of A Thousand Days" by Shannon Hale, go find a copy because it's wonderful.  I seriously recommend it and eventually I'll write a review on it.  It's my favorite and I read it every single year, at least once.  I love it so much.

My mom and I also listened to music.  We talked to each other about life and stuff.  And of course, we took turns driving and sleeping.

Once we finally arrived in Orlando, it was about 9 pm.  We headed straight for the hotel and checked in.  We were starving and exhausted, so decided to order room service: stuffed shells and cheesecake.  It was delicious.  Then we went to bed because I had an eight o'clock check in for the program.

That's all I'm going to post for now, but in a few days I'm going to post what happened the first few days.  The check in and all the way up to training.  Then I'll post about training and finally I'll post about the month and a half between training and now.

I love you so much, and hope you guys have a wonderful week.

LOVE,
KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Tough Competition

"I have been up against tough competition all my life.  I wouldn't know how to get along without it."

-Walt Disney

Tough Competition.

Trials.

Both are the same thing.  As an actor and musician, I've grown up with people around me who can be seen as competition.  And as a human, I've grown up with trials a significant part of my life.  It's life.  You have competitions in whatever line of business you are in.  You have competitions or trials throughout your life.  It's just how it goes.  And like I said yesterday in my Sunday Thoughts, you can make it through those trials.  

I may be repeating myself over and over again, but I truly believe these things, and almost every day, I have to be reminded of it again and again.   There are competitions and trials, but you can face them and make it through the rest of your life.

The second half of his quote struck me though.  Before I read it, I had never heard something phrased quite like that.  Can you imagine what life would be without trials and competitions?

It certainly would be easier, but also quite boring.  I know I wouldn't have the motivation to continue going forward with acting and performing.  I wouldn't have any motivation to do anything because nothing would motivate me.  That is what the trials do for me.  The force me to continue forward.  They force me to think outside of the box.  They force me to find a way to do the things I want to do, even when others tell me I can't or when they get in the way.

So know this, without trials and competitions, you wouldn't be who or where you are today.

You need those trials to motivate you.  To push you forward.  To function.  To be a human being.

I hope that this little post gave you a bit of hope and a bit of courage.  I hope it gave you motivation.  I hope it gave you some thoughts about how to make it through your current state of trouble.  I hope it gave you light.

LOVE,

KM

Sunday Thoughts || Light and Dark

I came to a realization in Sacrament Meeting last week, and this week.  

So many people sacrificed everything, even their lives for the right for religious freedom and to follow the prophet and heed the Lord's word because they knew the church was real. 

Yet, today most people take it for granted.

 We are their children's children's children's children's children, or how many generations ago it was, and they wanted us to know the church is real.

 However, most people, myself included at times, tend to feel embarrassed about the church or not really listen to the lessons and instructions we have.  Some of us even have days where we will say to ourselves that we will skip church, or Sunday School, or reading our scriptures, and even praying, because we can do it later.  

I realized that I need to be better at not taking things for granted and I need to be grateful for my ancestors and all the other pioneers who helped bring this Gospel into my life over a hundred years before I was even born.

Someone also quoted President Gordon B. Hinckley in Relief Society this past Sunday.  They basically said that life is a train where we can't see all the way in front of us.  We might not know where each stop along the way is, but we can trust the few feet in front of us.  Those few feet can lead us on, and we will trust them.  Yet, the train will stop occasionally and we may not like the stops along the way, but we need to trust in the small things.  

I just told a friend, who was having a rough day, that there is light at the end of the tunnel.  

I know it is a cliche phrase, but it is true.  We may not see it at this current time, we may not fully trust that there is light, but inside, somewhere, someone is telling us that there is a light.  

Out by the light, there is an outcome to our trials.  We might know what it is, and there is a possibility of not liking that outcome at first, but right now, you can't focus on that.  Don't worry about the future.  Don't worry about the negative, the stress, and the trials that surround you now.  Don't worry. (sorry I have to input this here: "Don't Worry.  Be Happy" :D  carrying on...) Everyone can make it through a trial, because they were put in our path for a reason.  You might not believe that, but know that you can make it through and you will become stronger.  (Ugh, I have to input this too!: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!")

Everyone, I love you.  And I know it may be hard right now.  I know. I'm having struggles too.  Even while I'm here at Walt Disney World, fulfilling a dream of mine, but there is an outcome and there is a light and we can all make it through this journey on the train of life.  

Please don't give up.  Please don't.  You can make it through it alive.  I know it's hard.  Believe me I know.  There are supposed to be bumps and tunnels and rough patches and trials along the pathway of life.  And you may come out of a war (not necessarily a physical one) with scars and bruises, but you can make it.  And you will make.  I believe in you.  And if you can just have one person believe in you, then you can succeed.

I love you and I apologize for not writing as much as I wanted to, but I will try harder.

Have a wonderful week! 

LOVE,

KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Keep Moving Forward

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long.  We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

-Walt Disney

Sorry I haven't written in a few weeks.  It is really busy.  I sleep, I wake, I go to work, I come home really late/early, and sleep again.  Even on my days or hours off, I'm tired and have things to do.  But, let's not dwell on that fact.  I'm writing now and that's all that matters.

Let us Keep Moving Forward.

This is a pretty famous quote by Walt Disney, especially since the company's movie Meet the Robinsons. 

Now it could mean something as simple as telling people to keep moving forward when people aren't moving fast enough or aren't keeping up, but overall it means something bigger.  Much bigger.

Don't Give Up.

When you fail at something, don't give up.

When something falls through, don't give up.

When you feel saddened by something that happened that sets you back a step, don't give up.

Sometimes it may seem like you can't pursue your dreams, or you can't move past a stumbling block that has been put in your path, don't give up.

Keep moving forward.

It is ok to look back on a failure or a hard time, but move forward, doors will open and you can find a bigger destiny for you.

Keep moving forward.

Your curiosity may lead to something bigger.  Curiosity for what more is out there will lead to bigger things.  Will lead to new doors.

Keep moving forward,

It will lead to something great and will end up changing your life.

Don't give up.

Keep moving forward.

Love you all and hope you have a great week.

LOVE,

KM

Sunday Thoughts || Pride

Today was my first day in my new ward here in Florida.

It was great! But because it is a new ward, I was a little bit out of it, and didn't take a lot of notes-to be honest, I was updating my personal journal that I haven't written in in a few weeks.

Yet, from what I got out of it was pride.

Pride is something that a lot of people, myself can be included, need to watch out for.

Pride can be evil.

Pride can take over a lot of people's lives.  

So, I really liked some of the quotes by Ezra Taft Benson that were in the book that we take our lessons from.

"Pride is characterized by 'What do I want out of life?' rather than by 'What would God have me do with my life?'  It is self-will as opposed to God's will.  It is the fear of man over the fear of God."

"To the proud, the applause of the world rings in their ears; to the humble, the applause of heaven warms their hearts."

Going along with pride.

Try not to care about others and their pride and what they think of you.

I struggle with this a lot!  It doesn't matter what you do, you can't change their minds about you.  Be yourself.  Don't worry.  And don't try and change yourself to fit someone else's opinion.

In the lesson, there was a quote that President Benson was reminded of often by his wife: "Don't worry about the world's opinion of you as long as you're right with the Lord."

That is all the food for thought.  But I hope I made some of your thoughts more spiritual on this wonderful Sunday.

LOVE,

KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Open Your Heart

"You can close your eyes to the things you don't want to see, but you can't close your heart to the things you don't want to feel."

-Johnny Depp

This rings truth from top to bottom.  What I feel like it means, is that you shouldn't shut out the world because you are too afraid to feel.  Sometimes, it can be hard to let yourself feel because it can hurt.  You might get hurt, and it might hurt to feel or let anyone in because you don't want to hurt and feel this pain.  But you can't close your heart.  If you try, you are just going to hurt even more.  Eventually, you are going to need to open up, and it will hurt even more then.  If you open up now, then you won't hurt as much.

Yet, it is true that you can't close your heart, because if you do, you are no longer you.

My advice to you is to just let yourself be you.  Let yourself feel.  Feel the good.  Feel the bad.  Let yourself hurt, let yourself love.  But, it is okay to keep a little wall up, but make sure you aren't hurting yourself, but make sure you can let other feelings in.

I hope I made some sense and made some of your Wednesdays more Wonderful.
I love you all, and if you know someone who needs to hear this, share it, because anyone I can make better, even if I don't know it, will brighten my day too.

LOVE,
KM

DCP: Application Process and Tips

So, I thought that now that I've made it into DCP, I would give some advice and ideas on the application process so you don't go into it blind.

As you start thinking about applying, there are a few things you need to know.

To apply, there are requirements:

-You have to be enrolled and taking classes at a college

-Must be 18 years or older by the time you start your program

-Meet any requirements that your school requires

-Have unrestricted work authorization

If you meet these requirements then you can continue the application, if you don't, you can just wait and then you will be prepared.  I suggest that if you meet the requirements and also if you don't, to search around the website, understanding the process and what goes on in the program.  See if you are interested and if this is something you want to do.  See what roles there are and make a list of the top roles you would like.

Website:

http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/default/

There is an international program, so if you are interested in that, google and look on the website for more information on that program.

Look over the Disney Look

Then decide a couple of things before or during the online application.

-Decide whether you would prefer working at Walt Disney World (WDW) or Disneyland (DL).

-Which roles you would love.

-Which roles you absolutely would not like.

The online application is basically a job application.  Fill it out as you usually would.  Depending on when you hit submit on the application, the wait time on when you will find out if you make it to the next step will vary.  If you apply immediately when the application is released, a lot of people will also be applying and so the wait time will be longer than if you apply later when the number of applicants is significantly lower.  If you apply when the application first comes out, you could be waiting several hours.  If you apply later on, like I did, it could be just a couple of hours.  For me it was 2-3 hours.

Finally, after all that waiting, you will find out if you made it to the next step: the Web-Based Interview (WBI).  I have a few tips for the WBI.  The questions for the WBI are timed, but if you miss a couple of the questions, it is fine.  You need to take your time and not rush.  The questions may be timed, but there is plenty of time and you need to just breathe and calm down.

There are 2 kinds of questions.  The first kind are the kind where you rate your agreement: Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree.  The second kind of question are rate on 1-10.  Also, there are a couple of Multiple Choice Questions.

1) Turn off anything that may end up taking away your concentration and distract you.
2)Take your time.  Read the questions thoroughly and take your time answering them.
3)Answer them honestly.  You don't want to make yourself seem too fake or too Disney (trust me the computer can tell if you aren't being yourself.  I've heard of people not making it in because they tried to make their answers as Disneyfied as they can.  They thought about what Disney would want, but they want honesty)
4) Relax.  The questions come in sections and so in between each section, I'd recommend taking a couple of seconds to breathe and get ready for the next questions.
5) For the agreement questions, you'll want to try and answer neutral as little as possible.
6) Also, you'll want to answer Strongly Agree and Strongly Disagree as much as possible, depending on the kind of question.
7) Consistency.  The interview will ask the same question phrased differently, so you will want to answer the question the same way.
8) Finally, a last advice I would give would be possibly be to have someone at your side as you take the interview.  I had my mom at my side because she knows me really well and there were a couple of questions I didn't know how to answer because I started stressing out, and she helped me.

Once you finish the interview, it will say tell you whether you made it on or not.  I've heard some people saying that it took a couple minutes for it to tell them, but usually it will tell you immediately if you made it to the next and final step: The Phone Interview.

You will want to schedule the phone interview quickly, especially if it is when the number of applicants is high.  I only had 2-3 slots available to schedule, but thankfully one of them was a time I was able to do, but it was in the morning: 8:15 AM.

THE PHONE INTERVIEW!!  CONGRATULATIONS!!
This is a big step!  So make sure you set it up for a time a couple of days later, instead of immediately.  You will also want to set up your phone interview to be a time that is a couple of hours before and after anything you have going on.  I had it in the morning, 2 hours before my first class.  I made sure I got up an 2 hours before my interview to prepare myself. You want to prepare yourself.  It can be scary, especially if you've never done an interview.

The interviewer can call before or after your scheduled time, usually up to 15 minutes before or after.  And I have a lot of tips!

1) Research Research Research!  Make a list of questions from online that they might ask.  I printed out questions and posted them on the wall in my apartment living room.  Next to each of the questions I had put a few words to remind me of what my answer would be.  I had also sorted my questions into categories so I could look for the questions easily. During my interview I would turn to the pages and look for the question, especially and usually when I got stuck in answering a question.

2) Look and Feel Confident!  When I got up, I put on Disney music.  I had to have it in my headphones because I got up at 6:00 and didn't want my roommates to wake up.  I ate breakfast, showered, got dressed in an interview-ready outfit.  Even though they couldn't see me, I wanted to feel like they could, and it made me feel more professional and prepared for anything.  It also made me feel confident.  For 45 minutes before my interview, I sat on the couch, sang to Disney music, and went over my notes and questions.

3) Smile!  It can show through your voice if you are smiling.

4) Breathe!

5) Get Your Disney On!  That is why I sang to Disney song.  I also had my Mickey Mouse stuffed animal right by me and I gave him hugs for good luck-I know, I'm a geek.

6) Remember your Interviewer's name and thank them.  Write it on a paper-I wrote it on the question pages I had.  At the end of the interview, I thanked the interviewer by name, to show that I cared about the interviewer as a person.

7) Slow Down!  When I did my interview, I spoke quite fast at first, and so I tried to slow down.  On top of that, my interviewer asked me halfway through my interview to shorten my answers because I apparently was rambling on and kept talking in my interview, when I needed to shorten my answers.

8) Have Some Water!  Sometimes my throat would get dry or I would start to panic, and so I would drink some of my water, which helped calm me down.  I usually took the water while the interviewer was asking me a question.

9)  Make sure your phone is charged!  Can you imagine your phone turning off in the middle of an interview?

10) Familiarize yourself with Disney Look and Character Integrity.  Disney Look can be found:
http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/about-disney-college-program/disney-look/
Disney Look can be through the physicality and performance.  Familiarize yourself with it because your interviewer will ask you questions about it.  It involves tattoos and piercings-which are fine to have, as long as they fall along the lines of the Disney Look or can be covered up.
Character Integrity is the integrity of a Disney character.  This means keeping the characteristics of the character.  Answering questions about why a character is gone and such.  For example, the question I was given was, why did Pooh Bear leave, like if the performer needed to go to the bathroom or switch shifts?  I answered saying that Pooh Bear was hungry and went to go find some honey with his best friend Piglet.  Another big Character Integrity is making sure everyone knows there is one of each character.  There is only one Mickey Mouse.

11) Be Yourself.  They want you to be yourself and not be too fake.

12) Get a couple of questions ready for what you would like to ask the interviewer.  You can ask any sort of questions.  To be honest, I don't remember what my questions are, but I do remember that one of my questions I got during the interview.

13) Look online for more advice and YouTube videos of advice and actual phone interviews.  This really helped me because I gained all of my questions for my pages online.  To be honest, my interviewer didn't ask me a lot of the questions I had collected, and it went by so fast I didn't know what she had asked or what had happened.  I actually thought that I failed the interview.  I thought it went terribly.  When it was done I just sat there and stared into space.  The entire day I cried, panicked, smiled, frowned, and got angry.  I went through probably every emotion possible.

Here are a lot of questions they may or may not ask:
-Why do you want to work for Disney?
-Why do you want to do DCP?
-Are you familiar with the parks, resorts, and Orlando area?
-What does Disney mean to you?
-How will DCP help your future?
-What makes you a good candidate?
-Three positive qualities about yourself?
-Three negative qualities about yourself?
-What Disney character do you relate to the most?
-Magical moments in the parks?
At which park or resort would you prefer to work?

-Past work experiences?
-Tell me about a time when you made a guest happy at work.
-How would your bosses, both past and present, describe you?
-Tell me about a time where a customer was difficult.  How did you handle it?

-Do you mind working and living far away from home?
-Do you mind working outside in Florida's heat or inside in air conditioning?
-Would you rather work independently or in a group setting?
-Would you rather work in a slow or fast-paced environment?

-How would you handle an emergency?
-How would you make a guest's day?

-Have you ever lived in a dorm or with other people?
-Have you ever lived alone?
-How do you feel about the apartment setting?
-How would you handle a roommate disagreement?
-What do you think the worst aspect of Disney Housing would be?

What are your top 3-5 roles?

After that, I would recommend looking up questions for each of your top roles.

After the phone interview comes the waiting.  I don't know how many times a day I looked online to see if I got any kind of acceptance or decline.  Even though I knew it would be at least a month before I would find anything out.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, but was just over a month, I finally found out.  I was in class and my mom was visiting.  I received a text from a friend who was participating in DCP at that time.  She asked if I had found out yet, and I hadn't, so I told her no.  Yet, immediately I turned to my email and saw I had one from the Disney Recruiters.  I grabbed my mom's hand and squeezed it as I opened the email and read these words: 

"Congratulations! On behalf of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts U.S., Inc., we are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to participate in the Disney College Program."

My next post about DCP will be the acceptance process and what to do between accepting and getting to Disney!

If you make it to getting this email, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

If not, it is fine!  You can apply once the next application is released!

Just never give up on your dreams!!

LOVE,

KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Do Not Dwell on Dreams, Live

"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live."

-JK Rowling

This will be quick, because I'm really busy.

You may have dreams and hopes, but unless you pursue them and live and love life, you won't succeed and you won't be living.

You may have dreams.

But unless you go out and live, even if you are thinking about your future, near and far, you won't be living, and your dreams won't come true and your hopes will fall short.

Live in the now, and don't forget to live.

Post either tomorrow or Saturday on application of DCP.

LOVE,

KM

Sunday Thoughts || Facing the Giants

On Sunday, I was on the road to Florida, so I didn't go to church, but I did end up watching "Facing the Giants"-one of my favorite movies, so here are my thoughts from that movie.

I love how the quotes and thoughts can relate to life too.

"You can't get any more not on the team than you are today."

"You can't win games unless you are playing as a team."
I think that these are great quotes that we could live by in life.  If you get kinda scared to do something or at least try for something, you have to know that if you don't make something, then you are no farther off the team, then you were or before.  And if you do make it, you need to know that you have to work with others and support them and then you will be able to win.
This especially hit home when I was trying to decide if I would apply for DCP, and I kept having all these reasons why I shouldn't do it, but someone told me something similar that if I didn't make it, I wouldn't be any farther off the DCP team than I was before.

"You're actions always follow your belief."
I think that speaks for itself.  I just need to believe in myself and I can do anything. 
Going along with that:

"If you accept defeat them that's what you will get."

I had so many other notes, but this is my most important and favorite one that is pretty much the entire message of the movie and it speaks for itself.  Realize it's truth and trust in Him when you win and when you lose because:

What is impossible when a God is on your side?

I love you all and hope you have a great week.
LOVE, 
KM

I'm off to Disney!!-What is the Disney College Program || DCP Fall 2015

It is Saturday and I am off to Florida!!

How exciting!! I'm so excited!!!!

Tuesday I will start my Disney College Program and I will officially become a Disney Cast Member!

I am driving from Utah to Florida (I know a crazy drive), but I've heard that it is better to have a car-and more reliable.  Don't worry, I'm not driving by myself, my mom is driving with me.  

Last Saturday, I threw a good-bye party, Disney themed of course :)  And it was a lot of fun!  I have some pictures and I will definitely share them with you :)

Everyone who came really loved it!  I went to the dollar store with my friend and my sister and gathered all things Disney!

A Cinderella puzzle, streamers and plates and cups in the colors pink and purple and white, a calendar with the princesses (which I took all the pictures out and hung them up), a kite with the most random princesses-Aurora, Merida, and Jasmine, Mickey Mouse straws, a Mickey Mouse Snack Stand, Mickey Mouse and Princess napkins, little decorations that I fell in love with, glow sticks and bubbles, and some other random things!

I also gathered all things Disney that I own, which is a lot, and I gathered my cousins' Disney toys and brought them to my aunt's house and decorated the basement, turning it into a Disney Explosion!!

While at the party we had a bunch of food which I named each one Disney related.

Kettle Corn-Mary Poppin's Popcorn

Red Velvet Cupcakes-Snow White's Cakes

Swedish Fish-Ariel's Fish

Mini M&M's-Minnie and Mickey Mouse Candy

Fruit Platter-A Taste of Tiana's Palace

Veggie Platter-Cinderella's Garden

Potato Chips and French Onion Dip-Chip & Dale

Tortilla Chips and Salsa-Chip Says "Be Our Guest"

Chex Mix-Captain Hook's Chex Mate

7UP-UP

Root Beer-Gaston's Brew

Coca Cola, Coke Zero, Diet Coke-Sleepy's Cola

While I socialized with my friends, I turned on Tangled in my aunt's home movie theatre, and then we watched my favorite Disney movie, Beauty and the Beast-which we quoted and sang along to!

I absolutely loved it and had a grand time!

Here is what the basement looked like once I transformed it.

(The Coloring pages on the table were for kids to color and the pages on the wall, my friend and I colored over the past two years.  We bought them at a drug store, I think it was CVS.)

My friend also gave me a nice, soft, warm blanket with the princesses Aurora, Cinderella, and Ariel and it is one of the softest things I have ever felt.  It is like Heaven.

Now that I've shortly explained what kind of things I did, I will explain DCP-Disney College Program for those who don't quite understand.

Basically, the Disney College Program, or DCP is a program for college students to be able to work at Disneyland or Walt Disney World for about a semester.  Basically it is a paid internship.  You get to work at one of the parks or resorts, depending on your role (employees are called Disney Cast Members-CM), and you get paid.  On top of that, it is different from a regular job at Disney, because you also have the opportunity to take a class or two from the classes they offer, and some of the classes can count for college credit-depending on your university or college.

It is great to have on a resumee, and there are so many positions to choose from that it can work for pretty much any major.   And you can meet people from all over the country and across the world, because there is an international program as well-for those who live outside of the US.

I will go into further depth about the program and its aspects and the application process, but I will quickly outline it.

First, you have to apply.  There is an application online at http://cp.disneycareers.com/en/default/

Once you finish that you wait.  You can be waiting a couple hours or a few days, depending on the time of year, and then you will hear if you can move on to the second step, the Web-Based Interview, or WBI.

On the WBI, you will be asked an assortment of questions with several different forms of answers, which I will elaborate later.  And then shortly after that, you will hear if you made it past that step.  If you did you can move on to the last step.  The Phone Interview.

The phone interview is an interview with a cast member, which is like a regular job interview.  And then, you have to wait again.  And this waiting process is usually the longest.  And after a few weeks, you will hear if you made it into the program.

If you didn't, don't fret, you can apply again in a few months, it is not the end of the world, I promise!  It just means that it wasn't the right time for you.  It means there is something waiting for you where you are now for the semester you applied for, and you can find that out later!  

Next week I will elaborate the application process and what the program entails exactly, but for now, I am on the road and will talk to you later! I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful, magical day!

LOVE, 

KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Extraordinary Destiny Comes From Hardships

"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny!"

-C.S. Lewis

We all have trials and hardships.  But when we are in those trying times, we don't always see the grand picture, the grand scheme of things.  We don't always see the light at the end of the puzzle. We don't always see the destiny of our lives.

This quote reminds me of one of my favorite songs from "The Prince Of Egypt."

The song is called "In Heaven's Eyes"

A single thread in a tapestry, though its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose in the pattern of the grand design
And the stone that sits on the very top of the mountain's mighty face
Does it think it's more important than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life, look at your life through heaven's eyes

A lake of gold in the desert sand is less than a cool fresh spring
And to one lost sheep, a shepherd boy is greater than the richest king
If a man lose ev'rything he owns, has he truly lost his worth?
Or is it the beginning of a new and brighter birth?

So how do you measure the worth of a man? In wealth or strength or size?
In how much he gained or how much he gave?
The answer will come, the answer will come to him who tries
To look at his life through heaven's eyes

And that's why we share all we have with you, though there's little to be found
When all you've got is nothing, there's a lot to go around
No life can escape being blown about by the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps, you must learn to join the dance
You must learn to join the dance

So how do you judge what a man is worth?
By what he builds or buys?
You can never see with your eyes on earth
Look through heaven's eyes
Look at your life, look at your life
Look at your life through heaven's eyes

You won't always see the grand design, but we need to try to see ourselves through Heaven's eyes because though you may be in a struggling time, a trying time, at the end of this dark tunnel there is a light and you will realize that you were part of a great plan and from that hardship came a greater and better you.

Because you will be extraordinary and were being molded like a diamond for an extraordinary destiny.

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!!!

Because you are worth it, and you are beautiful and you are being formed or were being formed and created for an extraordinary destiny.

I love you all and hope you realize how beautiful you are and how grand the rest of your life will be once you make it past this hardship!

LOVE,

KM

Sunday Thoughts-Late || We Are Worth It

I got my wisdom teeth taken out  two weeks ago, so I didn't go to church then, and then last week I was out of town and forgot to take notes at the meeting I went to, but yesterday I took notes.  However, I was so exhausted from a party I threw Saturday night, I ended up taking a five hour nap, so I never sat down and wrote out what I learned, so here I am, Monday morning, writing it down.

I learned quite a lot in the meetings yesterday, and really felt prompted to write them down and even share them with you.  My church meetings starts at 9 am, so I often have a hard time staying awake and end up turning to my phone to keep me awake, but yesterday, even though I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open, the lessons taught were able to keep my attention and I barely turned to my phone.

That being said, let me share the things I learned that I felt were significant:

A whole lot of things taught dealt with families and homes, and it made me think about my own.

With things that have happened in my family's life, it sometimes feels like we are being attacked.  My family is very close to each other.  My siblings and I are really close and we are really close to our parents, which is very unusual for families.  Lately, I have felt like my family and I are being attacked by illness and other people, but the reason we feel this way is because I believe that we are doing the right things.

Someone mentioned that we will be feeling attacked until the Second Coming because Satan wants to take people away from the Gospel.  We need to be able to keep our families strong and enjoy the blessing we receive when we are close to our families.

Satan will try to destroy the family, but if you remain strong and try to live the gospel principles, he will not succeed.

Another thing I learned is that

 We Are Worth It!

Why people won't respect you is up to them, but you can't let them not respect you.  You are worth it and deserve to be respected and you should expect to be respected.  You deserve it and are worth it and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Those are the main things I learned and I am going to try and live by them.  I need to stay close to my family, even while I am gone in Florida and I need to make sure I am being respected because I am worth it and I deserve it!

Have a wonderful week! 

LOVE,

KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Never Regret

"Never regret anything that has happened in your life,  it cannot be changed, undone, or forgotten.  So take it as a lesson learned and Move On."

I love this quote.  I was scrolling through my Pinterest quote board and saw this quote and it hit me. 

I apologize for not writing a Wonderful Wednesday post last week, or any post.  I got my wisdom teeth out and was out of it for a while, so my mind wasn't focused on writing.

But, because of this quote, I won't dwell on the guilt of not writing.

This quote really reminded me of Rafiki in Lion King.

"The past can hurt, but the way I see it, you can either run from it, or learn from it."

Things have happened in the past few weeks, that I regret.  Yet, I need to not dwell on it.   I may feel like I failed at something, but I haven't.  I just need to continue onward.  There may be regrets or mistakes, but learn from them.

I will continue to post and try to be better at posting more often.

Love you all.

LOVE,

KM

Miracles

Over the past month, I've witnessed several miracles and I thought I would share to of them with you, but I'm going to tell the one that happened most recently first and tell the one that happened first last.

My sister was canoeing in the lake with my cousins who were on a paddle board. They were in pretty deep water. They were playing and suddenly, my 9 year old cousin fell in. She floated because she had a life jacket on, but she couldn't get back on the board, so my sister jumped in and tried to help her, but in the process, her really nice and favorite glasses fell into the water. They started looking for them, but couldn't find them because they were in deep water and it was pretty dark. So my mom and I dove in to try and find them because we both are pretty great swimmers, but we couldn't find them.

5 days later, our last day there, after a lot of us were praying really hard, my cousins were back out on the water and were in the same area and suddenly they said they could see them, so my sister went in to find them, but she couldn't. So after a while, she asked me to help. I hate cold water, and the lake was freezing, but I dove in. After a little bit, we couldn't find them and my sister started saying that we should just give up, but I kinda yelled at her saying "I did not dive in for no reason." So I prayed again and continued looking. Suddenly we saw them. The water was really clear and we could see to the bottom even though it was 8-10 feet deep, at least. I went under for them, but didn't make it, so I started coming up and thought I was at the surface and let out my breath but water came in and I swallowed at least half a cup of lake water. 

After catching my breath, I dove in again and retrieved the glasses and we all cheered. 

The miracle is, they shouldn't have been able to be seen or found, but we saw clear water and were able to retrieve them.

The big miracle to me:

I have a security blanket, but it's not a blanket, it's a stuffed dog that I have had since I was a really little girl.  I got her soon after my grandparents' dog, Summer died, so I named the dog Summer and I don't think I have ever gone more than one day without having her on my bed at night. 

When I was in Spain for my choir tour in May , I accidentally left her on my hotel bed when we left that hotel. That was way back in the beginning of May. Near the end of May I emailed the hotel asking if they had seen it, but I got no response. So I gave up thinking that I would ever see her again.

My parents sent me to replacement stuffed dogs, but it's not the same, though I love those too.

If you have a security blanket, you know that nothing can replace them and they are precious. 

I had been praying to find her for a long time. Then a few weeks ago, I had a thought that I should email the hotel again. Two days later, I received an email that they had found Summer! I was worried it wasn't her exactly, but after a week of emailing back and forth and figuring things out, she was in the mail and her way back home to me.

She arrived in the mail when I was California and I asked my grandpa to open the package so I could see f it was really her. 

It was!!

I'm so grateful for these miracles and I know that miracles do happen, especially when we need them the most!

LOVE,

KM

Wonderful Wednesday || Be Yourself is the Greatest Accomplishment

"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

I truly believe in this.

When I was in middle school, I was kinda bullied by someone who made me feel that I needed to be someone else.  I know a lot of people feel that way or have felt that way.  I later realized that if I wanted to be happy and wanted to feel good about myself, I needed to be myself.  I need to be unique, and so I am loving this quote.

If you are feeling kinda down and not sure why.  Maybe it's because you are trying to be someone you aren't.  Maybe you are wearing a whole load of makeup and you don't like it.  Maybe you are wearing a style of clothing you dislike.  Maybe you like something that isn't completely acceptable in the world, like a book, or tv show.  But I would suggest that no matter how it looks to others:

Be Yourself.

LOVE,

KM

Sunday Thoughts || Be Still, My Soul

Life is hard.

We all suffer individually and feel alone at times. We can feel like no one truly loves us or understands us or what we may be going through.

You do not have to read this. In reality, I am writing this for my own purpose, but if you do continue to read.

 Thank You.

I love my church.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and today I was sitting in my sacrament meeting and felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and suddenly I had a thought that I should write a post about what I am feeling and thinking.

Someone gave a talk about service and comfort and love.

With my car troubles that occurred this week, I tried to keep everything in and be brave and not let others really know how scared and lonely and angry I was. Even you guys, my readers.

Yesterday I posted my Wonderful Wednesday quote, quite late. Even though I said I was positive or trying to be positive, it was incredibly hard. I started to get frustrated last night as I was babysitting my cousin. Every small thing that happened frustrated me and I realized, I wasn't being positive. I felt alone and like the world was against me, mainly because of my car. My mom drove in late last night and I gave her a hug and cried for the first time in several days.  My mom gives me comfort when I need it. And so does the church.

I know there are others out there who need the help and comfort from others and know that I am here and I would be happy to hear what you are going through and to help you in any way I can. 

I love to serve and I love to help others. It is true that usually I am positive, but we can't all be happy and positive all the time. It's pretty much impossible. But, I know that people are out there to help us. Like my mom. Our my church.

And so today, I opened the hymn book to one of my favorite hymns.

"Be Still, My Soul"

"Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side. With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide; in every change he faithful will remain. Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly friend thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

Be still my soul: Thy God doth undertake to guide the future as he has the past. Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake; all now mysterious shall be brought at last.  Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.

Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on when we shall be forever with the Lord, when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone; sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last."

Text by Katharins Von Schlegal and Janee Borthwuch. Music by Jean Sibelius

I love this hymn. It brings me peace every time I sing it, but today it struck me even harder and I felt completely comforted, loved and understood. Not by any one physically next to me, but by the Spirit. I know my Savior and Father in Heaven are there and know exactly what I fear and what is on my mind.

"Be still, my soul; The Lord is on thy side."

I know he is.

"With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain. Leave to thy God to order and provide."

It may be hard to just trust in the Lord, I know if I do, I will be blessed and love and comforted.

"Stand with those in need of comfort"

I know I have felt that today, with my mom and with the Gospel.

"When disappointment, grief and dead are gone, sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored. Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past, all safe and blessed we shall meet at last."

I feel this and love this and known that eventually my sorrow and grief will be gone and I will be blessed and loved and I will be changed and better. 

The scripture that goes along with this hymn is:

Doctrine and Covenants 101: 14-16

"And all they who have mourned shall be comforted. 

And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned.

Therefore, let your hearts be comforted concerning Zion; for all flesh is in mine hands; be still and know what I am God"

I know this is true and I know that if you seek comfort and love and serve others you kind find the comfort you need.

I love you all and I hope you can feel the peace in your life to fill your life with joy.

With that being said, I love you so much!

LOVE,

KM