B.D.C.

for months i have been getting phone calls from a special someone (or shall i say someones?) i like to call UBS. yes, that's right. united blood services. about a year ago i had the opportunity to donate blood at the institute building and because of my dear institute teacher who was only alive because of blood transfusions i eagerly volunteered. little did i know that i would have the universal blood type of O negative and come to find that UBS would hunt me down like they were ravenous wild wolves..(so if you need blood--let me know..ha)!

anyways, today i finally volunteered to donate again. i even got a cool shirt. hello Blood Donor Club!! who would have thought they would have blood donor club shirts..let's get real guys..i met some very nice people there who donate regularly and it made me realize that no matter how bad needles freak me out (not to mention they are a billion times thicker than normal needles), i need to do something to give back to the community. to love my neighbor. to serve others. to help save lives.

i was very touched to see so many people in one little room to come and donate anything they could. between those who just donated blood or those who donated platelets/plasma, etc. i was touched. i cannot express how much it meant to me to see those who were donating for the cause of saving lives, especially those who were donating platelets for cancer patients. cancer has always been something that has struck close to home. growing up i had one of the greatest best friends lose his dad from lung cancer only later to lose his mother from the same cancer. my grandpa has been fighting cancer for years and i can't help but get emotional each time i see him try to put on a smile to mask the pain. i feel blessed and loved. i thank Heavenly Father for each day i get to spend with him because i know others have not been as lucky. i KNOW without a doubt that Heavenly Father puts trials in our lives so not only that we can grow from the experiences but that we may also KNOW what we are capable of. He sent us others to be answers to our prayers--our friends, family, and even those we may not know right now help us to survive physically, spiritually, and emotionally. so, for this thanksgiving i will continue to be grateful for those who are willing to donate the little things to others in life because indeed, those are the things that truly matter.

through His eyes..

i have been thinking a lot lately. a lot about myself and what i can do better to feel the spirit each day in my life. i feel so stuck in a rut lately-emotionless. i know there are things i can improve on (this is no news flash), but life gets crazy and often times i lose sight of what matters most. lately i have thought about our Heavenly Father and how He sees people--what they mean to Him, how beautiful they are to Him, and their great worth.

as i have grown up in the church i felt like a very nonjudgmental person. i am supportive of those who have fallen short of expectations, done something "wrong," or for those who are just "lost" with nowhere to go. but i have come to realize that i am actually a very judgmental person. i hate to admit it, but it is something that i try to work on every single day. it doesn't just come easy. it's EVERY SINGLE thought i have about EVERY SINGLE person i come in contact with. i feel as though others judge me-my appearance, personality, everything. whether i "should be eating this," "wearing that," etc. i have come to the realization that although i am very judgmental of people, i am very nonjudgmental about the sins they have been involved in because frankly, i have been there. i know i am not perfect. but i can strive each day to have {perfect moments}.

this week i have tried really hard to see those around me through His eyes. i have tried to see their worth, value, talents, and look past their appearances. it has really helped me to realize the importance of human beings on this earth. i have come to remember that even the murderers, thieves, liars, and people like me all sustained Christ. we chose His plan. we have all come down here to learn. and so, i ask this..what would the world be like if we could all just see through His eyes?

thought for the day.

Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God.

~Anonymous

I am going to Peru this summer to volunteer! I.am.so.EXCITED. I cannot wait! I feel like it should be happening tomorrow. I am so happy the Lord gives us opportunities so that we can learn and grow and find ourselves through serving others.

my day of birth.

i am 20. officially. well actually, UNofficially. i technically wasn't born til 11:35 PM. but, forget that--i am sure glad we celebrate all day long!! and truly, if you are part of the Clement fam, (aka my mother's child) you celebrate pretty much ALL week! i love my mother.

now, i could go on and on about my 20 years of life, but i don't want to brag about my senile age.. ;) what i am really thinking about right now is my best friend Elder Nathan Larson. a few days ago i got a letter from him with a birthday card inside but he required that i couldn't open it until my birthday soooo what did i do at 12:00 am? i opened my card OF COURSE! (buckle down for the long read ahead! so sorry--just so emotional)

i am SO blessed to have this boy as my best friend. i miss him so much yet i know he is serving the Lord and for that not only is he blessing himself and his family and the people of Korea, but i feel blessed as well. i can't help but be emotional after reading his card and knowing how great of a friend he has been to me through the years. we've had our shares of fights and arguments, but when it comes down to it all i remember are the laughs, memories, and tears (both from laughing together or crying from pain). He has always been there for me. i love you nate dogg. i can honestly say your card has been the best present of my 20th birthday. you bring so much happiness into my life and all those around you. you mean so much to me-i don't know what i would have done without you. this i know for sure: WITHOUT YOU...i would have been WAY MORE confused about college. Would not have gotten an A in chemistry. Not understood a whole lot more in Calculus. Would have heard a whole lot more "world war III's" in my house. Would have cried a whole lot more tears alone. And would have been incomplete.

BUT..good news! you came into my life and saved the day! (more like the past 4 years!) you helped me through college when i didn't get it (and didn't laugh at me when your incredible brain couldn't understand how i didn't get it). you tutored my sister and saved a lot of heartache for my mother. you let me cry on you when no one else was here. you became part of my family. i love you and i always will love you for being my best friend! thank you nate dogg for being the best example to me i could ever ask for!