good news minute

i have been a little off my game, i admit, and i missed my good news last week and here it is monday night and i am just posting, but...PRIORITIES!!! (right?) this week they are in no particular order.

1- jon and i got to speak in church yesterday. the good news is that it is OVER! i am just NO GOOD at it! but it is always good for me to have to prepare, i always learn a lot :)

2- a quote by Elder Marvin J. Ashton: (i know it is long - keep reading)

"One of the great tragedies of life, it seems to me, is when a person classifies himself as someone who has no talents or gifts. When, in disgust or discouragement, we allow ourselves to reach depressive levels of despair because of our demeaning self-appraisal, it is a sad day for us and a sad day in the eyes of God. For us to conclude that we have no gifts when we judge ourselves by stature, intelligence, grade-point average, wealth, power, position, or external appearance is not only unfair but unreasonable. God has given each of us one or more special talents. It is up to each of us to search for and build upon the gifts God has given. We must remember that each of us is made in the image of God, and that there are no unimportant persons. Everyone matters to God and to his fellowmen. Taken at random, let me mention a few gifts that are not always evident or noteworthy but are very important: the gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small, voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgement; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing a mighty testimony; the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost. We must remember that to every man is given a gift by the spirit of God. It is our right and responsibility to accept our gifts and to share them."

the good news is- i have found my "gift" and built upon it, probably taking weeping to a whole new level! now i need to understand my "gift" and learn to love it!

3- the rebels won (quite easily i might add) their first game in the first round of the ncaa tournament. i was very proud of their play in both games actually. i love my team :)!

4- i am moving up in the pool i entered. (a pool for who would win the tournament) after the first day only christina cox had done worse than me...therefore, moving up is good news!

5- only two more days until we will be in san francisco! (i will miss those of you that can't join us this year...but i am planning on making a yearly trip a tradition. what do you think?)