The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.

I recently ran into some good quotes about loving and judging people. Just had to share them!

"The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good."
-Samuel Johnson

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them."
-Mother Teresa

Like Sister Barbara Thompson spoke about at the General Relief Society Conference, there is a gap that we human beings tend to fall into. The gap between believing and knowing. I believe that this gap really can be crossed when we follow President Eyring's counsel to pass the legacy of charity on heart to heart. It is in loving people that we see past their imperfections and our own. We can believe in doing good, or we can actually seek out ways to reach out and do it.

I had a friend tell me this week she was shocked when she was treated with acceptance and understanding as a weakness of hers was revealed. How sad is that? She was afraid to seek out help because of fear she would be judged and rejected!

I say thank you to the wisdom of Sam Johnson (no clue who he is), Mother Teresa, Barbara Thompson, and Henry B. Eyring.

Happy 29th!

After a nice early dinner with my parents, America and her family showed up with Tamales and cake. It was nice to have a 2nd birthday dinner and celebrate with great friends too. I got to sit by Angel, my niece who inherited my blue eyes. Thanks to the Forster and Ruiz family for a special dinner. Thanks to my parents for their endless love and support. Thanks to all my friends for many birthday wishes. A positive about facebook is everyone knows it is your birthday and you get emails all day long letting you know someone wrote on your wall. I also had a nice snack break at school with my classmates. I certainly felt very loved this year.


Mom, Faith, and Angel.
Maria, America, and Joseph

Yummy, tamales with two cute girls by me!

Birthday Queen! See- I even have on a Tiara! Ivy and Kristin let me have my birthday party at their apartment the Kelm home was hosting a bishopric social. We ate ice cream sundaes, sang iPod karaoke, and just had a good time socializing.


My photographer Kathryn. Next year, she wants a party just like mine !

Let the punching begin! Great idea Ivy, those were a lot of fun.

Connie was pretty much a champ, I mean just looked that "on guard" pose!


iPod Karaoke begins, and the birthday girl is the first to embarrass herself. "Step by Step"

My and my excellent backup dancer!

Cute!


Katie- another bold contestant!

Michelle- her life would suck without me! Really, she sang it, so it much be true. Than again the words are also that I am pretty messed up. Sing it Michelle!



All worn out from the singing!

Thanks for a great kick-off to 29.

TAKE ACTION!!!!!

(look fear in the face and say Grrrr!)

Take Action!

...not to be confused with the crass "Getting Action". TAKE ACTION was inspired earlier this summer when a friend and I wanted dessert by the pool at a friends graduation party, and didn't want to walk in the house. So we asked a handsome man in the ward to bring us each a piece of cake. It worked, and from there the theme TAKE ACTION came to life. It isn't just about dating. Oh no, TAKE ACTION is much more. TAKE ACTION is about not waiting for life to happen. It is about making choices that move you forward. It is about using faith as a principle of action. I have had this conversation with many friend over the past few months. We decided to get matching shirts for the YSA Conference in Ft. Worth, Texas this weekend. Six of us proudly wore them on Saturday.

This weekend was about TAKING ACTION. I learned some very important lessons at the Conference.

Lesson #1... God Loves Me- Me, Tamara...He loves me individually.

I admit I was a bit insecure and miserable for much of Saturday. The workshops were well planned and the speakers did a good job, but each one I went to didn't seem to be the topic I was hoping for based on the title. I was actually wondering how I was going to have a good attitude for the rest of the day and not collapse in a pile of tears. Ironically one workshop was called "And these things shall give thee experience", it was about how trials give us experience and opportunity to grow. After my rough couple of hours, the Lord showed me how much He loves me and really does want me to be happy. I ran into an old acquintance who I distracted me from the pity party I was throwing myself for being single in sea of 1500 other singles. TAKE ACTION! If you want to have a better attitude you have to take action and make choices that will allow Heavenly Father to open doors. I could have chosen to just forget about talking to this acquintance and complained the whole day, but my shirt inspired me on!

Lesson #2
Take a second chance!

If you have a poor impression of someone but don't really know them, give them another chance. You just might be surprised, and your first impression might have been totally wrong. You never know, someone might be placed in your path just long enough for you to learn something from them or about yourself. TAKE ACTION!

Lesson #3 I am not as patient as I thought I was!

I got lost several times the first night in Dallas. I stayed in a house with 20 other women. I didn't get very much ME time. I got uptight a couple times and realized- "Tamara, you need to chill out and work on your patience! " I was surrounded with wonderful, amazing women and realized quickly that patience is definately a virtue that I can work on! TAKE ACTION!

Lesson #4 There is wisdom in Harry Potter, and even Dumbledore knows to TAKE ACTION!

President Uchtdorf of the 1st Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints spoke at the Sunday Fireside. He gave lots of advice and counsel, but the cutest was when he quoted Dumbledore from Harry Potter. He prefaced it with real gospel application, than read from Book 2, page 333. "It is our choices, Harry, that show we truly are, far more than our abilities". TAKING ACTION, or making choices, reflects us more than what we might think we are capable of.

Lesson #5
Fact or fiction? Boys, Men, Guys...
whatever you want to call them, can be charming and cute....FACT!

I got to dance with several really fun guys. Some dipped me, some spun me, but all were lots of fun. The Mt. Bonnell Ward has some really great men. I didn't do any of the asking this time at the dance, I left it to the guys to TAKE ACTION. Two good dances in a row,that has got to be a record. Handsome man in the blue shirt in Austin, and several handsome men in Ft. Worth.

The moral of the story, TAKE ACTION! You just might be happy with your results. Tell me about your TAKE ACTION experiences.

ACTION TAKEN!

Prayers Answered

Do you believe in faith? In prayers? Fasting? I do...

Shrimp plants flattened down by the rain, they don't mind though.

It has been raining off and on for several days this week.

Bare toes in the rain feels so good!

Glistening raindrops!

É preciso amor para poder pulsar..
É preciso paz pra poder sorrir..
É preciso chuva para florir..

Carmen or Snow White?

I recently sent my grandparents some pics they requested of me. They wanted updated 2009 picture. My grandpa (aka Opa) gave a classical response to two of the pics and I couldn't help but share what he had to say.

"What a contrast between picture #212 and #1387!

212 reminds me of "Carmen" , the vicious temptress,"




"1387 is more like Snow White waiting for her "Prince Charming" , or one major flower among many minor flowers."


Temptress or Innocent? Hmmmm....

Special Day of Fasting & Prayer

I preface this blog with an apology. Perhaps this is not the correct forum for such an invitation, but I had the thought to do it, and I am one for acting when prompted, so here goes...

The Austin Texas, Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints will be participating this Sunday in a Fast together. For those of you who do not know, a Stake is made up of several congregations of members of the church that live in a geographical area. Each stake is directed by a Stake President, the priesthood authority who receives counsel and revelation for his stake. Our stake President, David Hollingsworth, has asked that the stake join in fasting and prayer this Sunday in regards to the drought that Central Texas is experiencing. So why is am I making this my blog? Well, we were specifically asked to extend this invitation to friends and neighbors. I decided that because I have been given so much, and because I have gained an even stronger testimony of fasting recently, I would feel priveleged to invite my friends (both of my faith and of other faiths) to join me. I know there is power that comes from combining faith.

So what is a fast? Isaiah 58:8-9 says...

"Then shall they light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily:and they righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity and they darkness be as the noonday."

What this means to me is that God is willing to pour out blessings upon His children, especially those that seek light and ask Him. Fasting is a way to supplicate to the Lord for desired blessings. Let us fast on Sunday, as President Hollingsworth said, for the animals and the fields that have gone without rain for so long. Let us fast for relief from the drought. I think Isaiah 58:10-12 is especially meaningful in regards to this fast...

"And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in."

If you have never fasted before, here is a pattern I follow. Open your fast with a prayer stating the purpose of the fast. Keep that purpose in your mind and a prayer in your heart all day. Fast for two meals, and close your fast with another prayer of gratitude. If you are unable to fast, please join me in prayer.

God Bless!