Be Believing

Sometimes in life, we wander through periods of wilderness.  Other times we are blessed with a land of promise.  The Lord doesn't always give us what we want, not because we don't deserve it, but rather, He knows we deserve something better.

During our times of wandering, it is important to keep the faith and continue to believe.  The following are a handful of scriptures that I find inspiring and help my faith during these dry times:

"Be not faithless, but believing." {John 20:27} 

"Fear not: believe only." {Luke 8:50} 

"Be not afraid, only believe." {Mark 5:36} 

"Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart..." {Mormon 9:27} 

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend." {Mosiah 4:9} 

"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} 

"Be strong and of good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee withersoever thou goest." {Joshua 1:9}

So whether you are walking through your wilderness or have made it to your Promised Land, it is important to keep in mind that the Lord is always with you and has great plans for your life, no matter where you are at in your journey.

[Image Source]

~ * ~ Fear not, but be believing. ~ * ~

Going Abroad?

Things don't always go the way you plan.

You can have your life all laid out only to have it fall apart.

Or, in some ways, come together.

Never have I traveled.  The farthest away from "home" I have gone is an eight hour drive (one-way).  But towards the end of my schooling career (a few months ago) I had the strongest desire to travel.  I was finishing school and I wasn't romantically involved with anyone, allowing me "freedom" to do whatever I dreamed about.  But I couldn't figure out where this sudden desire to travel the world came from.

I have always wanted to go to Asia and, if I believed in reincarnation, I would swear I was Asian in a previous life.  Everything from the language to the music to the entertainment I find fascinating.  I will admit, like a fair amount of Americans, anime was my introduction to Japan (and Asia in general).  But then I started listening to music and quickly fell in love with the language.  For years, I listened to Japanese music (mostly Visual Kei, Jpop, and some solo artists).  However, it became more and more difficult to find, much less obtain.

And then I saw SHINee's "Lucifer" and my world changed.

The editor in me was blown away with their timing in regards to dance and video editing.  It wasn't just SHINee's videos either, but several artists' videos.  Then I realized how broadly advertised this "kpop" was on YouTube.  BILLIONS of views on thousands of videos.  And the best part?  I could legally purchase the music from iTunes and support the artists that I love (like Super Junior).

Music unites us and makes us realize that underneath all the external differences, our internal heart feels the same.  We experience similar emotions: we cry when we're hurt, laugh when we're happy, and smile when we're in love.

And I have fallen in love with a country all over again.

It's not that I don't love Japan any less, but I love South Korea just as much and my desire to go to both countries skyrocketed.

I saw a teaching opportunity to go to Seoul, South Korea and teach English to children at the beginning of the summer.  Asian children are ADORABLE!!!  (If you don't believe me, go watch this YouTube video).  When I saw the offer, I had one of those instant gut reactions: "Yes!  I want to do this!"  And it has stayed in the back of my mind ever since.  Going abroad would be a HUGE change for me, but it would be an absolutely incredible experience; one I would cherish for the rest of my life.

The more I think about going to Seoul, the more I want to go to Seoul.

[Image Source: JeffreyHolldender.com]

In anticipation of living my dream, I have begun seriously studying a foreign language for the first time in years.  안녕하세요!  As excited as I am to know at some point I want to travel abroad, I admit I don't want (or plan) to make the trip alone.  It would be so nice to take a friend or a travel buddy, as sharing the journey with another person is a crucial part of the experience (in my opinion).  Not to mention the safety it provides.

Maybe I should just sit back, save, and dream.  Then, in a few years, I'll have learned enough Korean to get me around and perhaps I will have a travel buddy lined up...like a *cough*husband*cough* I think an Asian tour would make for an amazing Honeymoon, don't you?

 네!!!!
(YES!!!!)

...Maybe I would even get to attend a few kpop concerts. ;)

~ * ~ * ~ Reader Involvement ~ * ~ * ~

Where would you go and travel if money and time were not a problem?  Why do you want to visit that country?  Comment below!

SuJu

I have a confession to make.

I haven't willingly listened to English music in over a month.

Super Junior is by far my favorite group and I own over 6 hours 
of their music alone with a total of over 10 hours of KPOP music 
on my iPod constantly playing.

Kyuhyun is my favorite.  

[Beautiful artwork of Kyuhyun done by Coyote777 on deviantArt.com]

I first fell in love with his amazing voice...

[At the very least, go to 3:50 and watch 20 seconds.  It'll take your breath away.]

But then I discovered his personality. 

Though Kyuhyun is my favorite, I love all the members and they 
continue to grow on me as I learn more about each of them.  

[Beautiful art done by lvr94clan on deviantArt.com]

The Pledge of an ELF

I

PROM15E

TO

13ELIEVE

10VE

PROT3CT

AND

NEVER F0RGET!

If you do not understand the above, let me break it down for you: 

ELF stands for Everlasting Friend and is 
what fans of Super Junior are called

PROM15E to love all 15 members

13ELIEVE in the 13

10VE the remaining 10

PROT3CT the missing 3

NEVER F0RGET any of them

The last line I saw on a random site 
but I changed the "O" to a zero (0) 
because I don't plan to ever forget.

The following video makes my heart beat with joy.  

I am proud to be an Everlasting Friend of Super Junior!! 

Paint the World
 Pearl Sapphire Blue 

~ * ~ Welcome to the Fandom ~ * ~

June Changes

June is going to be a month of great growth and change for me. "I can feel it... in my belly!"

All areas of my life will change this month:

- Academic: My practicum will give me hands-on experience with working in my field (though, as of tonight, I am still looking for a site) and is needed before I can get my diploma.
- Spiritual: I'm going to revamp my spiritual life and make studying the scriptures and pondering an essential part of my life.
- Physical: I am going to get in shape! For so long I've had it as a goal, and this month I'm tackling it!!
- Social: My writing group of friends (Inklings) are doing NaNoWriMo this month (since November is the worst possible time for us to write).
- Romance: I'm determined to boost the area of my love life. I'm watching a seminar and it has really motivated me to put myself out there, take some risks, and just have fun when it comes to dating.
- Mental: When I see "small" projects around the house, I just need to DO them; like taking that basket of old clothes to charity, or selling old DVDs to our local video store for cash.

These all seem to be items that were pushed aside because they are not a priority. Well I'm MAKING them a priority this month.

Then maybe next month I'll tackle cooking. ;)

Confession

I'm human. I'm not perfect.

I feel obligated to admit that the YouTube lent is going really well, but 1) I haven't done as much spiritual study/pondering as I was hoping for; and 2) I have slipped and seen an occasional video once in a while in the last two weeks (for a grand total of maybe 15 minutes).

BUT, I haven't watched ANY Dodger... and that's saying something, especially when it's my last two weeks of school and final exams and projects are bearing down hard. Sometimes all I want to do is curl up with Coffehtime and get lost in her adventures of life (and, of course, cat stories). Not to mention watching her Let's Play videos where she does hilarious voice acting and narration (especially the visual novels/love sims).

So if I'm not spending my time on YouTube or Netflix, and I still am not pleased with my spiritual studying... what AM I spending all my extra time doing, you ask?

Well for starters, I'm doing a lot more writing! I have a writing group now and we have a blast every week. We get together on Thursday evenings and read stories out loud, provide constructive criticism, laugh, and play games. It's seriously the best thing ever. As a result of this group, I'm more encouraged to write and finish my Destroyer story that has been with me for years. And it's working! I've got about ten chapters written so far, and a lot more on the way!

Another task I have busied myself with is homework, sadly enough. But I am in my last two weeks of my college career and after my internship this summer, I will have no more homework! Hallelujah!! So I just need to push through and conquer. I'm almost done...

So, in the end, I have had a few slip-ups, mistakes, and course corrections, but I still feel like YouTube lent is a good thing for me. Now to set some goals to make me stretch and do even more! I'm not quite half-way done with my 40-day fast, but I can see the potentially great effect it can have on my life.

I'm human. I'm not perfect.

But I can grow and change.