Autumn

Can we have an autumn party?
Can we sit at picnic tables outside
With candles and laughter and friends
Underneath the gold and scarlet trees?

Can we eat warm delicious chowder
and fresh apples and peaches
and little cheesecake and pumpkin pie tarts
and wash it all down with sparkling cider?

I've talked myself into it.
I'm throwing a party
in honor of my favorite season.
You're invited!

Did you hear?

Bomb threat at the Eiffel Tower.

If someone blows up the Eiffel Tower before I get there, I will be seriously ticked off.

While you were sleeping...

Do you believe in love at first sight? Nah, I betcha don't, you're probably too sensible for that. Or have you ever, like, seen somebody? And you knew that, if only that person *really* knew you, they would, well, they would of course dump the perfect model that they were with, and realize that YOU were the one that they wanted to, just, grow old with.

Sigh. I love this movie. 

My brother.

My brother is cool.
He's a funny, spiritual, basketball-playing piano master. Who also plays the drums. And is a gentleman(thanks to his sisters).
And he's smart.

It's his senior year in high school.
You remember this post?
I was all in shock.
But now, that's everyday news.
Princeton is only ranked #8 in the world, you know.
He's also been chatting with
Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Among others.
Schools offer to reimburse him for travel expenses if he will come check out their campus.
Letters like this arrive every day.
Long ones.
Personalized ones.

Yeah, my brother's cool.
And he's going to be rich.
Line up, ladies ;)

FOOD.

So, I'm doing a three day juice fast again.
When I made myself a cake and ate the ENTIRE thing myself
And was still wanting sugar afterwards,
I knew something had to be done.

I'm on day 2.
By 11 am  I had 34 oz. of lemon/cayenne pepper/maple syrup water
I had two cups of herbal tea (which tasted like cardboard water, in case you were wondering)
and about 4 cups of just plain water.
Because all I can think about is consuming things.

Day 2.
AND ALL I CAN THINK ABOUT IS FOOD.
Not even food that is good for you.
Last night I dreamed about cheese and french bread. 
All I think about is what I'm going to do on Friday.
I want Kneaders for breakfast.
I want to hit up Wendy's, Arby's, and In-n-Out.
I want to make this and eat the whole thing.
I want to go to Olive Garden.
I want ice cream and fried food.
I want CHOCOLATE.

I think I have a serious problem.
And I don't have the strength to combat it.

Do you really want to know?

Whenever I run into you people
You ask what's going on in my life
What I have been up to
It's a normal enough question
and usually the answer is "oh, you know. nothing."
And we both go on our merry way

But lately
When I hear the question
I look at you
a grin starts to form itself upon my face
and the battle begins in my head

Should I tell you?
Do you really want to know?
Are you prepared for the explosion of happiness
which I am prepared to unleash?
Because that is how I feel these days
Like a reservoir of joy continually on the verge
of overflowing

Should I really rub it in your face
that I am FAN-freaking-TABULOUS?
that I am on an errand for the Lord?
That I'm about to spend 18 months in Paris, the City of Lights?
That my life has been overcome with a purpose
so much bigger than myself?
That I spend my days preparing to testify to anyone and everyone that I meet
That my Savior lives?
That joy and comfort and love and everlasting life are right within our reach?

That I'm not in school (finally)?
That I get to go to the MTC every week and practice French with the missionaries?
That I have the time to go to the temple as often as I feel like it?
That I spend all my time thrilled to my fingertips
Enjoying the things and people I will soon say goodbye to?
That I'm excited to say goodbye?
And even more excited to say hello again when I get back?


Did you really want to know?

Although, if it makes you feel better, I am getting fat.
Because all of this joy tends to lead to celebration
which tends to include sugar.
As all celebrations should :)

Confession.

Flash mobs make me cry.
Like this one.

I'm not sure why.

Ever since happiness heard your name, it has been running through the streets trying to find you.

-Hafiz

Epiphany

Epiphany, while being a wonderful word in its own right, is also the middle name of one of my bestest friends. So therefore even more awesome, and you have learned something new today. I hope you feel blessed.
Anyway, I had one today.
And then I stuck my head out of the shower (admit it, all your great epiphanies come to you in the shower too) and told Jaime.
And she gave me a look that seemed to say, you are a very slow learner.
And then she said, "just take your shower."

Are you ready? Here it is.
There's enough joy to go around.
There's enough joy available in the world, thanks to our Savior Jesus Christ, for every single person in it to be completely, breathtakingly joyful.
Man is that he might have joy.
Ever thought of that as a commandment?

Ok, maybe this isn't news.
But to me, the thought was interesting.
It came after I had been talking to a friend
about another friend
and all the wonderful things she is doing with her life

and I may have started to get jealous.
I started to think that, comparatively,
I would never have as good a husband. Or as good a job.
I would never be as spiritual. Or beautiful.
Or have as peaceful and beautiful a home.
It was kind of a "there's-only-so-much-pie-and-you-just-got-a-really-big-piece"
feeling.
But she's my friend.
I want to be happy for her.

And it came to me, as I pondered it.
Epiphany.
Joy. Love. Beauty. Spirit. These are things that multiply as they are shared.
It's like a never ending pie!

The Lord is running his own 24-hour pie buffet! And he doesn't even charge you.
He's begging you to come, and bring all of your friends.
Joy is everywhere. It comes in the temple, in our family and friends, in the sky, in the trees, in the sunlight, in the stars. Joy is in everything my little brother does, it is in service, it is in music, it is in food. It is in the hope for a better tomorrow. It is in faith. Faith that no matter what is happening in the world around us, the Creator of the Universe is in charge. And you'll know you're safe when he knows your face, because you're a regular at his buffet.

New epiphany: I seem to be hungry. Look at all those food references.