LaDawn Marie

MSW Reflections

2009-12-10T13:27:00.000-08:00

I just got back from spending the evening with some of my favorite people in the whole world...my classmates. We had a lovely Christmas party full of food, gifts, memories, laughter, and singing. It is amazing to me the bond we have developed between all of us. I count each of these amazing men and women as much my family as any actual blood relative I have. In fact, for the most part, they probably know me vastly better than my family.

Just a few of these great people:

At the party tonight, some of this year's highlights were read. I thought I would list just a few of my highlights here (some of them are the same as the ones read):

Intramural basketball and football
Unofficial group therapy sessions during lunch at the WILK, Taylor Bldg, and the Creamery
Going to Washington DC along with Philadelphia, Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey
The time I pantsed Jesse on campus
The AMAZING adventure to Hungary and Ukraine
The weddings of several classmates as well as the births of many of their children
Thanksgiving with Sam and his family
MSWSA meetings with a bunch of expressive officers
Dr. Seipel's community organization class
Devon dancing like Richard Simmons
Dr. Marett's discourse on the mating rituals of sea horses
Clergy Bridge
Going to various conferences with classmates
Playing sports, watching movies, playing and singing music, parties, baby showers, bridal showers, hanging out, and all-around good times had outside the classroom with my classmates

I guess part of my reason for reflection also includes my most current good news. As of today, I am finished with my research thesis (for school purposes..I still have lots of work ahead to publish) and am two finals away from beginning my fifth and final semester of the Master's of Social Work Program at Brigham Young University. What an adventure it has been so far. I don't think I had any idea of the person I would become during this program, and I don't regret one second.

Masquerade

2009-12-09T22:47:00.000-08:00

So, a couple of girls in my ward decided they wanted to throw a masquerade ball, which I was entirely uninterested in. But then, it turns out that it ended up being held at a treatment center for men with Autism, Asperger's, and various learning disabilities. Then, I still didn't want to go. However, somehow, on the day of, I decided maybe I would just go. I had a semi-formal dress that I could have worn, but didn't want to, so I pulled out a half made Belle costume that I started making out of a bed skirt last Halloween and finished it during the few hours before the dance.

This is the finished product:

...and it turns out that the dance was really, really fun, and the residents at the facility we went to had a blast and kept asking us when we were coming back. All in all, it was a good time and gave me a chance to put my creativity to the test once again!!

Gratitude: A Feeling of Thankfulness and Appreciation

2009-11-25T14:29:00.000-08:00

Gratitude: A feeling of thankfulness and appreciation. That's the definition I found as I sat down to prepare one of my most recent psych-ed group for my substance abuse clients. I was originally supposed to run this group a few weeks ago, but it ended up not happening that night. I was planning on doing it for tonight's group, but it turns out we are going to have a guest speaker, so now it's pushed back until next week. I don't mind having the extra time to prepare as it has been interesting to actually study the attribute of gratitude.

Gratitude is a major concept in addiction recovery. In fact, one of the AA quotes says "Gratitude is the hinge upon which an abstinent life swings." This got me to thinking about how strong and well-oiled my "hinges" are, and I concluded that a little WD-40 is in demand.

As I have sporadically done at other points in my life, I currently keep a gratitude journal. Each day, I try to write down at least 5 things I am grateful for. During the time I devote to doing it (on the days that I remember), I feel really good and often recognize the catalyst gratitude can be for genuine happiness. However, I have also come to realize that those few minutes I am writing each day are often the only times I am thinking about all of the things I am grateful for. That's something I would like to improve upon. I would like to get to the point where I am constantly in a grateful frame of mind...living with an attitude of gratitude.

So, with Thanksgiving on tomorrow's horizon, I thought I'd write a few of the things I've put in my gratitude journal recently:

Nov 4, 2009- "Indoor plumbing"
Nov 5, 2009-"Jason and Dave stopped by just to see how I was doing last night."
Nov 5, 2009-"Last night, one of my clients told me I had the prettiest eyes of anyone he had ever met."
Nov 8, 2009-"I am grateful for the days I feel healthy. I don't think I would appreciate those days nearly as much if I did not experience so much pain and sickness."
Nov 8, 2009-"Pumpkin seeds."
Nov 11, 2009-"Education-I love learning and it feels so good to know I have learned something new."
Nov 17, 2009-"Sam invited me to come to Thanksgiving with his wife and kids."
Nov 17, 2009-"I went to the MTC referral center on Sunday and was able to chat online with people interested in the gospel. It was a great experience to share my testimony with others, and, in turn, reminded me of the testimony I did have."
Nov 17, 2009-"I was able to talk with Reshanna for a little while yesterday during a hard work day, and it was a nice little break."
Nov 20, 2009-"I'll have the house to myself most of Thanksgiving week!"
Nov 23, 2009-"I got a $20 gift card to Macey's from work!"
Nov 23, 2009-"Alex showed me how to play B flat and F chords on the guitar that I can actually reach!"

Melodie Beattie (No, I don't know who she is) said about gratitude, "Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity….It turns problems into gifts, failures into success, the unexpected into perfect timing, and mistakes into important events. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow."

Anyway, HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!!!

Spare Your Change 2009!!!!!

2009-11-11T13:44:00.001-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

The holidays are fast approaching, which also means it is time for the 3rd Annual Spare Your Change campaign! Most of you are aware of the projects we have headed the last two years, and we are super excited for this year’s plan (If you don’t know about our previous projects, feel free to ask! We’d love to tell you about them!)! We are doing things a little bit differently this time and are actually splitting the funds between two projects.
Our first project is time sensitive, so we hope we will get a quick response! LaDawn works at the Health & Justice Building here in Provo and a fellow employee whose family is in Samoa is trying to raise donations to send to help with the tsunami relief. The people there are in great need of the following items: silverware, pots and pans, flat bed sheets, camping equipment, and heavy duty tents. The items need to be to LaDawn’s coworker’s sister in California by the beginning of December, as they have a container reserved there to be shipped to Samoa at that time. Money donations are also being accepted and will be used for whatever they are still in need of after the material donations. We do not have an exact date of when we have to have these donations by, but we are going to give an arbitrary date of November 20th right now (We know, only 9 days!) and will send out an official date when we know for sure.
Our second project will be running through December. We will be collecting and buying books for the children in a local school district who are in great need of reading materials. Again, we will accept both monetary donations or actual books. If donating actual books, they should be new or like-new and should be between the K-12 reading levels.
This year we are starting with $62.21, and our goal is $1,000 in monetary and material donations combined, and we would love your help if you are interested! Donations can be dropped-off or sent to our apartment at:

LaDawn Park & Shannon Turner
380 N 1020 E #315
Provo, UT 84606

As always, we will have change jars at our apartment and will periodically be bringing them around our apartment complex, work, and school. We will also be accepting monetary donations through a Paypal account. There is a donation link at LaDawn’s blog (lawdyda.blogspot.com) on the right side next to the most recent blog entry.
We thank all of you who have participated in years past and hope that you will be interested in donating again!

Thanks again!

Sincerely,

LaDawn Park and Shannon Turner

Life is What You Make It

2009-09-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

I ended my school and work week today by attending the funeral of my friend's daughter, Cali, who lived only seven days because of a heart defect. I arrived at the funeral feeling exhausted and overrun by my current stressors: work, school, and many other aspects of life. I was caught up in myself and my own problems.

Then I walked through the front doors of the church and things changed. You might say the viewing and funeral gave me what we therapists like to call a cognitive reframe. My problems and concerns didn't go away, but I was reminded of the perspective from which I ought to view my life. I was especially reminded of the miracle that life is.

As Cali's family spoke of her little life and how hard she fought to live during the days she was here, not only did I greatly admire their immense strength, but I reflected on my own life. I thought of when I was born with collapsed lungs and wasn't supposed to live. I thought of when I had bacterial spinal meningitis and wasn't supposed to live. How my IV broke and I almost bled to death and wasn't supposed to live. I thought of the times since when doctors said I shouldn't be alive. I thought of the times I didn't think I could make it one more day because of the pain or the sickness or whatever.

I wondered why I was left in mortality and why Cali was called home now. And it occurred to me how both Cali and I had a very specific mission, and God needed us each in a different place. He truly has a plan for each and every one of us.

I further pondered how frequently we take life for granted...how often we get so caught up in the daily routine and the struggles and frustrations that we completely forget the big picture, and we forget to cherish life. I know I'm guilty of that, especially lately.

I need to remember to find joy in the little things: the sun shining, laughing, having a good conversation with a friend, serving, having a client say "thank you," taking pictures, smiling. Life is hard, but we can find joy in the journey.

Paul said, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." -Romans 8:18

It's the storms in our lives that refine us.

And then, this evening, I looked up at the mountains, and a rainbow shown through the clouds.

So Long to the Sights, Sounds, and Smells of Summer

2009-09-02T20:35:00.000-07:00

As much as I love school, the beginning of classes always means bringing to a close the part of the year I live and breathe and yearn for: summer. And frankly, the thought of summer ending always takes me to the verge of tears. While I believe a lot of that is due to having Seasonal Affect Disorder, and it's scary to have to face the depression anew each fall, much of it also stems from the fact that I have always viewed summer as a mystical and magical time.

I daydream all year long about walking barefoot on hot sidewalks; floating on my back with eyes shut in the turquoise and rippling waters of the swimming pool; the sound of lawn mowers and the smell of freshly cut grass; coming home from bonfires, the smell of smoke lingering; fireworks lighting up the sky; the hot air enveloping me like the arms of a warm embrace; feelings of freedom, happiness, excitement, and love.

This year brought with it some different sights and sounds and smells than previous years and was not quite what I had envisioned, but has left me with a greater longing and nostalgia for what is now the past. Furthermore, it was one of the more enriching summers I have had.

This summer I got to spend my days in with some of the most amazing kids I have ever met, and to be completely honest, I forgot that I was their therapist on more than one occasion. Of course, as we all well know, kids say and do the darndest things, and I thought I'd highlight a few of my favorites here...

We were playing a the playground outside of a water park waiting to go in to play for the afternoon. One of the little autistic boys walked by. I called his name, and he turned towards me. I told him that I liked his shirt. He closed his eyes, and put his head back to bear the biggest ear-to-ear grin I have ever seen...and kept grinning...and grinning. He didn't move for a good 20-30 seconds. He just stood there, eyes closed and grinning. It had to be one of the cutest things I have ever seen, and I couldn't stop laughing for quite some time after.

***

Autistic kids are known to struggle a little bit (or a lot) socially. We had one boy in our class, who happened to have autism. He was one of the highlights of my job and made me laugh every day. I wish I could remember all of the things he said and did. There is one time I remember, though. We were doing an activity outside. This particular boy, was sitting down, and the girl he liked was standing next to him. She wasn't paying any attention to him and didn't even notice when he said this, but he looked up at her and completely sincerely asked, "Are you wearing deodorant or something good smelling today?" I had to try really hard to keep from laughing at the way he so genuinely asked such an awkward question.

***

One day I was talking with the kids about emotions in group therapy. I gave each kid a piece of paper that had different pictures with labeled emotions (happy, sad, scared, lonely, etc). I asked each kid to share about a time when they had felt one of those emotions, but I had a catch: no two kids could use the same emotion. Some of the kids shared some really touching experiences. We got to about the fourth kid, who was a boy who is typically pretty quiet and struggles with depression. He got this smirk on his face and said, "I feel attractive" and burst into giggle, as did the rest of us.

***

Kids have a way of pointing out the obvious at the most inconvenient times for adults. I guess one thing that was obvious to some was that my coworker, Alan, and I liked each other. Long before he and I ever talked about this long-standing fact, all of our classes were combined for the 4th of July Parade and Talent Show (which we held on my birthday...it was AWESOME). We had the kids sit in rows (by class) on the gym floor and their parents and families sat in the chairs behind them. The "teachers" (us) sat along the wall to the side of our classes. Alan's class sat right in front of mine, and so he and I ended up sitting by each other along the wall. Apparently one of my lovely, blunt little children couldn't contain it any longer and HAD to talk to me in the middle of the talent show.

She came over to me, and indicating towards Alan, asked, "Is he your husband?"

"No," I responded, glancing to see if Alan was listening to the conversation.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

I wish.

"No," I again responded, almost depressed that was the honest answer.

"Then who is he?" she asked.

Can't this kid just shut-up and go sit down?"

"Um...uh...he's just another teacher like me. Go sit back down."

Leave it to a child to unglue a typically composed and confident adult.

***

One of the most endearing experiences I had was with a little boy whose picture could be used as the definition of ADHD. The week previous, I had spent stayback with this little boy and his sister (stayback is for kids who did not earn a high enough level to go on the weekly activity). You would think the kid would have hated me after stayback (we made them do push-ups and sit-ups and write about why they had to be on stayback and sit still for excruciatingly long amounts of time, etc). However, somehow he decided that he loved me instead. We had all of the classes combined for gym that day, and we were playing warball (similar to dodge ball). After the first round, he ran up to me and said, "I want to be on your team" and simply joined our team. When I got out, I sat down against the wall. He got out around the same time I did, and came and sat right next to me, looked up at me and smiled, and simply laid his head on my shoulder. It was one of those moments that I longed to be able to take my kids home with me and take care of them forever.

***

My last day at Wasatch happened to also be the last day of our summer program, so in the morning, we did a carnival for our class. One of the festivities included fake tattoos. One of our kids is 12 and LDS. When we were asking the kids if they wanted fake tattoos, he responded, "I can't get a tattoo. I'm a deacon!"

***

Those are the moments that make this summer so hard to leave behind. Those moments, along with playing mancala and other games; those unique moments in our daily group therapy when the kids were really able to open up about their pain, their fears, their hopes; making felt snakes, marshmallow creatures, paper weights and play dough; the innumerable memories with my coworkers (the talks, the dietary restrictions we all had, going out outside of Stride, the struggles and triumphs, the drama).

I will also remember the rolling sounds of the metro, hailing taxis, and walking for miles on end in Washington DC. I will remember the new friends I made on my flights and throughout my trip. I'll remember the homeless man who gave us flowers, then asked if we were going to pay hm for them. I'll remember the historical monuments and the feelings of reverence in hallowed places.

I'll remember my trip to the other Washington...home to Spokane to be with family and friends.

I'll remember Memorial Day, Independence Day, and my birthday. Fireworks, festivities, friends, food, fun.

I'll remember the day I was able to go through the temple for the first time. I'll remember the peace and joy I felt that day and the Spirit I felt.

I'll remember playing my guitar, sitting out by the pool, late night conversations with friends, taking pictures, going for walks, hugs, movies, dancing around the coffee table to Johnny Cash, laughing, dreaming, hoping, and wishing on stars.

I'll remember these days, because they are days I could never forget.

29 Days and Counting and I need help!!

2009-08-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

Dear friend or family member,

Graduate School at BYU is a wonderful experience. The masters level social work program is engaging and full of dynamic learning opportunities! In fact, this September I will have the privilege of traveling to the Ukraine under the direction of Dr. Judith Norman, a social work professor. In Ukraine I will take needed clothing and school supplies to multiple orphanages in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. Additionally, I will be presenting research about the mental health of Ukrainian orphanage children. Our purpose in so doing is to begin working towards having better trained mental health clinicians in Ukraine, as well as move towards implementing an infrastructure that will allow the children to be placed in more permanent home settings. Ultimately the objective of our visit will be to support the Ukrainian government and its citizens in developing a friendlier approach to childhood care within their country.

My reason for sending you this letter is to petition a monetary donation. Not for the orphans of Ukraine but rather for me personally. Traveling internationally for two weeks is extremely expensive and I am fortunate to have a large portion of my travel expenses subsidized by research grants. However, I am still short about $1,000, and the trip is less than a month away. If you are willing and able to donate a monetary contribution to this cause please do so by sending a check to:
380 N 1020 E #315
Provo, UT 84606

Or you can make a donation to my paypal account on this blog. There is a donation button in the upper right-hand corner.

If this petition poses any type of conflict simply do not contribute.

Thank you kindly,

LaDawn Park
lawdyda@gmail.com

August 13th and so forth

2009-08-23T11:15:00.000-07:00

So, basically I suck at this blogging thing, but I keep pluggin' away...well, occasionally, that is.

August 13th was my last day as a Family/Child Therapist Intern at Wasatch Mental Health. It was really hard for my to leave both my clients and coworkers. I was so skeptical of working at Wasatch again and honestly, hated it in the beginning. However, then I started the Summer Stride Program, which is a day treatment program for kids ages 5-12 (I worked with a group of 8-12 year olds). Anyway, I fell in love with my job in Stride...great kids, great program, great coworkers! Loved it, loved it, loved it! I want so badly to go back and stay forever. But, alas, I have to begin my next internship at Utah County Division of Substance Abuse. I'm sure it will be a good experience, but I am sure going to miss my kids and coworkers at Wasatch.

August 13th was also the day I flew to Spokane to surprise Jabe (my nephew) for his 10th birthday. Reshanna and Ryan picked me up from the airport late that night. They didn't recognize me...seriously, who doesn't recognize their sister?!?! Anyway, I slept out in their 5th wheel that night, and in the morning, Reshanna told Jabe that he could open one of his presents, but that it was too big to wrap, so she left it on the bed in the camper. Jabe said it was the best birthday surprise and overall best birthday ever!

My trip was AMAZING and I got to do lots of great things like learn how to skateboard (sort of...I pretty much sucked, but Jabe said I did great for a newbie), went out to ice cream (and yes, I paid for it later), fishing, birthday, a wedding reception, basketball, movies, swimming, Silverwood Theme Park, and lots of other amazing stuff. It was hard to come back home after the trip.

Anyway, there's a quick update!

Current Events

2009-06-30T15:32:00.000-07:00

Every Tuesday I work from about 8 to 8. I get done with Stride (the day treatment gropu for 8-12 year olds that I'm a therapist for) at 3, and then I run parenting group from 5:20-7. Sometimes I have clients during that inbetween time, but today, nothing. And it seems that most of the office is gone, and I am trying desparately not to fall asleep in my windowless office. I guess I could start playing with the toys on my bookshelves, but I thought I'd write on here instead.

There have been a few interesting happenings in my life the past few weeks, and two stories in specific that were especially exciting. We will call the first story The Tree. The second story will be called Crochet Hooks, Smoke Alarms, and Firemen.

THE TREE

Saturday, June 13th was a stormy day. My roommate, Shannon, had left earlier in the day to go to the Draper Temple and had been gone for quite sometime. I was preparing to go to the Provo Temple, and had finished getting dressed and brushing my teeth. I grabbed my bag and my keys, opened the front door, and was about to walk down the stairs, when I saw it.

The big tree in front of our stairwell had fallen. Because Shannon was being blessed for going to the temple, it fell right in her parking spot while she was away. Either side of the tree rested on my car and our neigbor's car.

I called the emergency maintenance line and left a message, and they actually responded! After chopping up the tree and clearing the debri, I went to inspect my car. Not one scratch!!! My neighbor's car only suffered a bent antenna.

The End.

Oh, one more thing. Now we park on the other side of the parking lot.

Crochet Hooks, Smoke Alarms, and Firemen

So, it was nearing 11 o' clock on Tuesday, June 23rd, and I had just finished dinner and was sitting there crocheting a square for Warm Up America, when the fire alarms in our apartment started sounding. This had happened before, but just when the hair dryer was being used for a long period of time. So, we start investigating, and there are no signs of a fire. Unbeknownst to me, one of my roommates turned off the AC to see if that would change anything. A few minutes later, I decide to turn on the AC to see if will do anything. Voila! The alarms turned off. But then, our lights all start flickering. We go to a couple of our neighbors' places to see if they are having similar problems. They aren't. And when we get back to our apartment, the alarms are going off again. I try the AC trick again, and it works. And then a third time. We are all getting frustrated at this point in time and just want to be able to go to sleep in peace and quiet, but we aren't really sure what's wrong.

My roommate, Melinda, calls her dad, and after leaving a message on our emergency maintenance line ("Please leave a message about your emergency..." People!!!), I texted my coworker Alan (aka Mr. Knows How to do Everything). Melinda's dad originally thinks there is dust or spiders in the alarms, and the AC is triggering it. But she forgot to tell him about the lights and stuff. So, she's talking to him, and Alan calls me and walks me through several different possibilities. I even take apart one of the fire alarms to see if it's battery powered, but it's not. Both Alan and Melinda's dad come to the conclusion that there is some sort of wiring short going on (which can cause electrical fires...lovely) and both recommend we call the fire dispatch to come check it out. So, then we spend forever trying to find the number for fire dispatch (Alan tried looking on both of his computers, but both of his computers decided to stop working as we spoke), I'm looking stuff up on the internet, my roommates are looking in the phone book.

Finally, Melinda just calls BYU police and somehow gets connected to Provo Fire Dispatch. Alan decides to stay on the phone with me until everything gets worked out, and my roommates and I go chill in the parking lot, as the alarms won't turn off at this point in time.

A fire truck comes, with four firemen all decked out for a forest fire. They go investigate the apartment. They come back a little later saying the fire alarm in my room was setting off all the others, and so they disconnected and reconnected it and said it should be fine.

Finally, everything was fine. That is, until about 30 seconds after the fire truck left and I got off the phone with Alan, and the alarms started going off again. After exploring another few options, fire dispatch ends up having to come back.They confirm Alan and Melinda's dad's hypothesis of a wiring problem and end up having to completely disable the fire alarm in my bedroom. They tell me to call maintenance again and leave a message about the fire department having to come twice and that they better be at our apartment ASAP in the morning and that the fire department will be following up mid-morning to make sure they are in compliance with fire codes.

So, for safety precaution (in case there did end up being an electrical fire and no longer having a fire alarm in my room), we all end up pulling out our mattresses and sleeping in the living room and get to bed around 2.

The end.

My music!

2009-06-08T21:04:00.001-07:00

All of the music on my blog is now music I have written and recorded.

An update on my life for friends and family

2009-06-08T21:03:00.000-07:00

Dear ___________(insert your name here...see, it's personal!),

I know it's been awhile since I've given many of you an update on my life, so I thought I'd send you all an email (sorry it's in mass form). As you will see, if you take the time to read this email, I have been staying EXTREMELY busy, and I apologize for not staying in as good of contact as I should. For those of you who just want to skim, I've bolded and enlarged the main points. :o)

I am currently working at Wasatch Mental Heatlh again, but now working as a therapist in the Children and Family Division. It's definitely a big change from working as a case manager for adults. I still haven't decided if I like it or not. I guess it's enjoyable enough, but still not what I plan to stick with for a career.

Some of you have asked about my D.C. trip, and I haven't really told you anything, so here's the super short Reader's Digest version. (For those of you who don't know, I went out to DC for 5 days to present research at the Global Awareness Society International conference.) The trip was AMAZING!!! I absolutely LOVED D.C. and I really didn't want to come back. I'll be honest, it took a few days to get used to how crowded and loud and crazy it was, but then I loved it. We saw and did a lot of amazing things and met a lot of amazing people. We made it to Virginia, D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Some of the stuff we did: toured Philly and the historic sights there (Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Benjamin Franklin's grave, Betsy Ross' house, ate Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches and a million other things), saw Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian at the Smithsonian, toured some of the Smithsonian museums, went to Mt. Vernon, saw Washington Monument, Abe Lincoln Memorial, and several of the war memorials, went to the conference we were there for of course :o), wandered the streets of D.C. exploring, rode planes and taxis and metros and buses and trains and did lots and lots of walking, did some shopping, met up with some of my friends that live out there, and ate tons of food that was out of this world! I met several awesome friends on our flight, train rides, and just in the streets of DC and Philly, and am now keeping in touch with my new friends. I'm currently considering moving out to DC while I work on my LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker license).

The week after I got back from DC, I had the honor of being named Editor in Chief for Clergy Bridge!! I am SUPER excited, although the responsibility is a bit overwhelming. My main responsibilities right now are to edit the manual we have created and to do extensive revision for our next edition. I also need to find a team of writers and editors to work for me, so I'm not rewriting the entire manual by myself every year! If you want to check out our organization, go to clergbridge.org or clergybridge.com. We should be up and running as a non-profit come Fall semester.

Towards the end of Winter semester, I was elected as BYU's representative for the National Association of Social Work (NASW), and so I am starting to fulfill those responsibilites and get acquainted with my duties. Some of the stuff I will be doing, is attending NASW meetings and orientations, conducting a NASW membership drive at BYU, putting together a lecture series at BYU, and getting BYU students involved with lobbying and policy making at the state capitol. I'm already loving it and am excited to get more involved!

I'm also serving as an assistant to our program's activity coordinator, Suzette, which is a blast!! We've had some really fun activities such as roller blading/biking down Provo Canyon, picnics, temple trips, weekly lunches during the class semesters, and hikes. Next week, I will be heading a class bonfire (our last one was a huge success!), and for Indepedence Day, we will be putting on a breakfast at the Provo Balloon Festival. It should be awesome! We're also looking to plan a graduation trip for our class. Our two main ideas for consideration are Disney Land (a lot of my classmates have kids) or a family cruise.

A few weeks before DC, Jesse (one of my best friends in the program), Dr. Norman, and I got our plane tickets for Ukraine!!! Jesse and I are WAY excited to go, and he and I are working on preparing our presentation as well as a paper for publication on mental health in Ukranian orphanage children! It's so much fun, and I am in love with the research as well as my kids over there!! Also, I'm am still working on the sock drive for the kids. We have 600 pairs of socks so far, and my goal is 2,000. I am determined to make it! I have recently had several people and wards enlist their help in raising socks, so that's exciting! I even have some friends in Spokane interested in helping, so that helps solidify my plan to fly up in August to surprise my nephew, Jabe, for his 10th birthday! I'm psyched! By the way, if any of you want to be involved with raising socks or know anyone who does, let me know!!

I also recently got enlisted to help with the production of a series of meditation CDs. I will be writing all of the music for it and have about a week and a half to do that! I am working with Jesse, a professor from UVU (Dr. Lloyd White, one of the pioneers in youth treatment programs), and Lloyd's son-in-law, Geno, who has done a lot of work with biofeedback. Lloyd has also invited me to write part of his next book. I told him I would think about it...I'm not sure I have time.

In the fall, I will begin my research/PhD emphasis in the program. I am so excited about it! I never knew how much I would fall in love with research!! I am currently looking into different PhD programs, which I plan to begin 2 years after graduation (when I will licensed as an LCSW). I am considering all of the top 10 schools including Washington University at St. Louis, University of Michigan, Columbia, University of Southern California, University of Washington, UC-Berkley, and a few others.

So, yeah, those are a few of the things I've been doing. :o) Of course, once in awhile, I take time for my personal life and go on dates, hang out with friends, go to movies, go swimming, church activities, etc.

Anyway, I hope all of you are doing well! I'll try to be better about keeping in touch!

CRAZY Weekend!

2009-05-11T07:33:00.000-07:00

So, you know how weekends are supposed to be like the time you're able to recouperate from work and such. Well, that usually isn't the case for me, and though part of the weekend was just amazingly awesome and the perfect kind of weekend, the rest of it was pure madness. :o)

On Friday, I had the day off, and got to go the doctor...so much fun. K, not really. I went in for a follow-up on my ear (My earlobe got seriously huge and infected after a cyst ruptured inside of it and I was on antibiotics and crap). However, it turned out to be much more than a follow-up on my ear when I started telling the doctor about what I thought were side effects from the antibiotics, and I ended up having a blood test, a rectal exam, and got scheduled for an endoscopy for this Friday (which will be the perfect start to another weekend...). So, instead of a quick like 10 minutes appointment, it turned into an hour and a half and was much more invasive than checking my ear.

Then I got to have some fun for a bit. I went out with my friend Janna, which was really great! We had lunch at Rumby Island Grill (yum, yum, yum!!). Then we went to my old office (where she still works) to visit Wendy! It was great. Then we sat outside to soak up the sun...and do homework...joy.

I had the place to myself Friday night, and so I threw a big party(!!!)...aka...I cleaned the kitchen and organized stuff and took care of some things I needed to get done. It was kinda nice though.

Saturday morning was awesome! I went with some classmates and we roller bladed/biked down Provo Canyon. All of us on roller blades crashed at this one crazy spot, but we all came out in one piece (even if our roller blades didn't). Then we met up with more classmates for a picnic in South Fork Park (one of my very favorite places in the world!!!).

I was totally tuckered out by the time I got home, but had to keep going, cuz I had to get ready for my friend Brandee's reception up in South Jordan, where I was also meeting up with my cousin Jerremy (YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). He drove all the way from Seattle to be here for just about 4-5 hours before driving back. He must really love Brandee! We went to the reception, and then we went out to dinner, AND between Jerremy and Lisa, I came home with over 100 pairs of socks! Only 1400 more to go! :o

Yesterday was a rough day. I will spare all of the details of most of the day, but let's just say by the time I was heading back to Provo from Farr West (visited my mom for Mother's Day) around 7 last night, I was beyond exhausted and emotional and had a lovely migraine.

So, I'm driving down I-15, coming up on Farmington, when all the sudden my engine starts making some nasty noises and within a few seconds, the "Check Engine" light, the "oil" light, the "battery" light and another one came on consecutively. I pulled off the exit, and by the time I got to the light at the end of the offramp, my car was dead as a doornail (where does that phrase even come from?). I got stuck in the middle of the intersection, and people were honking at me until they realized my car died and I wasn't just some idiot who decided to stop there (who would really do that????). Anyway, I pulled off to the side of the road, and called my mom and step-dad, and they left to come rescue me.

In the meantime, everyone and their dog, including 2 cops, stopped to help me, but none of them could really help me. So, I just stood there on the overpass and waited. It was a nice sunset.

Almost an hour later, my mom and Larry showed up (It should really only take about 30 minutes to get to Farmington from their house, so I don't know how slow they must have been driving...). Larry did some extensive checking on my engine, and we even got to witness a gyser. But, the engine was pronounced dead. Then, my mom realized we were only about a mile from my cousin, Wendy's house. So, I got my first experience of steering a car that was being towed. It was kinda freaky.

We dropped off my car at Wendy's, and Mom and Larry started to head to Provo to take me home. I got in touch with Shannon, and she started driving to meet us, so my mom and Larry wouldn't have to drive the whole way to Provo, then back to Farr West again. And so it wouldn't take like 3 hours to get to Provo. :o)

By the time I got home, I wanted to go to bed and never wake up again. But here I am, sitting in my office about to see a client. I guess I can only dream about being in bed now...

Say hello to the new child therapist, and by new I mean, you're her first client, and she may mess you up!!

2009-05-01T15:28:00.000-07:00

Today marks the ending of my first week at my Spring/Summer internship. I have to say, I have a lot of mixed feelings about it, since I vowed to never return to Wasatch to work, but am excited to be reuinted with beloved coworkers.

It's been an inteesting, yet somewhat uneventful week. On Monday and Tuesday, I went through all of the initial training that I had already been through when I first started at Wasatch a little over 3 years ago (TONS of paperwork along with CPR and First Aid and stuff...I like First Aid, though). I couldn't deicde where I fit in during the training, since I knew all of the Wasatch staff and also knew about half of the new employees (as they are also from my program), but none of the WMH staff knew any of the BYU interns (I also just realized both WMH and BYU have blue colors in their logos...). It was WeIrD to say the least.

I was glad to finally come to my department, Youth Outpatient (YOP) on Wednesday for two reasons. One, I got to skip the 8 hour Junction (our computer system) training that I already had when WMH first started using it :O), and two, I was interested to meet the people I would be working with for the summer.

The circumstances surrounding being introduced to my department were kind of interesting, as my supervisor, Colleen, asked me to come meet everyone at a baby shower for my coworker, Haley. I got there before my supervisor and no one knew who I was or why I was at Haley's baby shower, so that made things a bit amusing, and maybe a little uncomforable too.

Besides a 4 hour motivational interviewing training a bunch of my department and some other departments attended yesterday (where my coworker Andy and I went from thinking the other looked familiar to realizing we were friends in college..yeah, we're smart, right), I haven't had anything scheduled to do yet. By that I mean, I haven't had any of my scheduled things pan out...no shows are pretty common around here. So, mostly I've just been watching training videos, which means I've been having the time of my life!

I was supposed to sit in on three different intakes this week, but none of them ended up happening, and I'm scheduled to start doing them on my own on Monday. I don't know what I'm doing, so hopefully I don't permanently screw anyone up. :o)

In other news, the cyst I've had in my ear for over a year finally decided to rupture inside of my earlobe on Sunday. Almost instantaneously, my earlobe tripled in size and got all sorts of infected and gross...maybe I'll put up some pictures of that later (good thing I had a first aid refresher this week!!). :O) With training and stuff, I couldn't get into the doctor until Wednesday morning when I had about an hour. So, now I'm on antibiotics, and it's slowly un-infecting and deflaming and disappearing. I get to go back to the doctor in a week for a check up on it.

Also, even though I have yet to see any of the Xmen movies, I am going with some friends to see Wolverine tonight. The decision was based solely on the fact that they said I should come, I have no other plans tonight, and I want to hang out with them. I really couldn't care less about the movie, though, so hopefully it's worth the atrocious amount I am spending to go to the theater.

Lastly, and most exciting, ONLY 19 DAYS UNTIL DC!!!!!!!!!!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Guess I better start preparing my presentation! hah!

Clergy Bridge

2009-04-21T14:25:00.001-07:00

This last semester at BYU, I helped organize and create a manual for religious leaders who are facing difficult mental health issues, such as major depression, poverty, PTSD and so forth within their congregations. Overall it has generated a lot of attention. This past Saturday we hosted a training seminar where we introduced the manual to over 50 clergy of various denominations. If you are interested in seeing this project directly you can go to our website and down load it: www.clergybridge.org (everything is free). The resources listed in each section are limited to the Utah County area, however the information provided is universal. Please forward this e-mail to anyone you feel would benefit from these services. Most importantly as a class we want this information to be disseminated. If you or anyone you know would like more information, feel free to respond to this note, or shoot an email to clergybridge@gmail.com.

If you would like to see this project in action you can read about it in this Deseret News article: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705298070/BYU-students-create-mental-health-manual-for-clergy.html?pg=1 (If you read the article I encourage you to leave a comment in the comment section), in this Daily Herald news article: http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/306365/17/, in the Daily Universe:http://newsnet.byu.edu/story.cfm/72149/1121, or in Mormon Times:http://www.mormontimes.com/people_news/education/?linkTrack=dailyEmail&id=7323.

We also had a press conference with the Salt Lake Tribune today, and are scheduled to be in their Saturday paper.

And the time flies.

2009-04-08T12:38:00.000-07:00

So, I didn't realize until yesterday that we only had three days of class left, then finals before the semester draws to a close. That's crazy!! I'm half way through grad school, and I just can't believe it.

This year has been absolutely amazing, in spite of some of the really difficult stuff, and I am standing with my hands out, hoping to slow down the next few weeks. I am so not ready for classes to be out and to start my internship. Call me crazy, but I wish I could just stay in classes for the rest of my life.

I know I mentioned this already, but I am continually amazed at how close our class has become. I can truly call every one of my classmates my best friends. It's pretty much the best.

Six of us are getting ready to go present our international research in DC next month! I'm getting pretty psyched for that! AND...I got my passport on Monday!!! So, now I am actually going to be able to prepare for my Ukraine trip and get past the airport security!

Anyway...there's a few new updates. More to come...someday. But, seriously, if you want to see more pictures and stuff, check out my facebook profile. I'm better at that.

Blessed

2009-03-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

The past couple weeks, I haven't been able to help but think about how blessed I am to have the opportunity to be in my graduate program right now. There have just been so many instances lately when I've sat back and thought, "Wow, I am so glad I'm here."

Our whole class of 42 continues to get closer and closer to each other, and it's an amazing process and experience. I love the amazing friendships I have developed and continue to develop, as well as all of the amazing things we've done together. I never imagined that I

could have so many close and amazing friends at the same time that I could totally be myself with. It's been amazing!

Pictures from a few recent events:

GSS Intramural basketball! Groups Class Activity

Bowling!!!

From Selfishness to Service

2009-02-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

To my fellow BYU students and anyone else this may apply to:

Maybe it’s the social worker in me, but I have been thinking a lot lately about how selfish we have become not only as an American society, but even more specifically, as BYU students. Now, as a disclaimer, all of the good that is done by those on our campus does not go unnoticed. I am continually amazed by those who reach out and make a difference. So, this probably won’t apply to every individual at BYU, but I think it applies to most of us, including myself.

One of the campus entrances reads: “Enter to learn, go forth to serve.” I love that slogan, but it seems that more and more we use that idea as an excuse to focus entirely on ourselves during our education and as an exemption from serving now.

All too often, I hear people saying (maybe not in such blatant terms) that the needy, the poor, the sick and afflicted deserve what they’re getting—that they are lazy, no good bums or that they got themselves into whatever mess they are in so they should be able to get themselves out. How many people actually choose to be sick or disabled or orphaned or homeless or a number of other things that puts them at a disadvantage? Extremely few. And even if they did choose, which in the majority of cases they don’t, does that mean our responsibility to help is revoked? When did we decide that we are above serving our fellow man?

How long has it been since each of us has reviewed the statement in Mosiah 18:8-9 that we all covenanted to live by? Are we helping to lighten the burdens of those around us? Are we mourning with those who mourn? Comforting those that stand in need of comfort?

Or, as in Matthew 25, are we feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick? It seems to me that more and more, we are increasingly concerned with our own self-preservation and accomplishment than of serving our fellow man. We have turned the scripture into, “I’ll give the canned foods that are expired or that I’ll never eat to the food bank, I’ll donate my clothes that are old and worn and torn to those in need, and I’ll visit the sick if they’re not contagious and it is convenient to my schedule.”

I am a strong proponent of self-reliance, but I also recognize that many people need help in getting there. How can a man learn to fish without access to a fishing pole or a spear or a net and a knowledge of how to use them? How can we expect the homeless to become contributors to the GNP if they don’t have access to training and education? How do we expect the orphans of the world to grow up and make morally sound choices if they were never taught morals in the first place?

God didn’t make us able-bodied and intelligent with the chance for excellent education only for us to put ourselves on a pedestal above those around us unable to experience the same opportunities. What I wouldn’t give to see someone get a B instead of an A on a test because they used their study time to lend a listening ear. How I long to see someone forgo that brand jewelry or jeans to clothe someone who can’t provide that for themselves. I hope for the day when we more often forget ourselves to remember another. As President Hinckley often reminded us, “We can all be a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful of one another.”

When It Rains, It Pours, and Sometimes in a Good Way

2009-02-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

So, I've had opportunity to experience some pretty awesome things in the past week!

Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to attend the Marjorie Pay Hinckley Chair dinner and lecture. I was asked to attend the dinner, because the research I am doing with Ukrainian orphanage children is being funded under the chair. It was an AMAZING experience!

At the dinner, I sat with Dr. Norman as well as some associate dean and her husband, and two couples who are donors to the chair. The guy I

was sitting next to was probably in his mid 50's-60's and was determined to have me date and marry his son. It was pretty humorous.

At the lecture, I sat next to Elder Bates of the Seventy, and a few seats down from Elder Scott. I was surrounded by all of President Hinckley's children. I gave the opening prayer for the lecture, which prayer I received several compliments from Dean Magelby, Pres. Samuelson, and Elder Scott...guess I'm good at praying?? It was awesome having the chance to spend a few minutes talking with Elder Scott...reminded me of when he used to come to Spokane when I was a teenager. After talking about my education a little, he told me I have a lot going for me...including my two eyes. :o)

Last night, I had the opp

ortunity to go to the Draper Temple Open House with my friends Josh, Melinda, Shannon, Clay, Stephen, Eric, Janey, Amber, Kevin, Nicole, Austin, Andrea, Kenny, Shandee, Aaron, and Ryan. IT WAS BEAUTIFUL!!! It was such an amazing experience!

Josh, Me, & Melinda on the bus to the temple

Draper Temple! It's beautiful!

Amber and Stephen on our bus ride from the stake center to the temple.

I would write more, but I gotta go....

Socks for Love!!!

2009-01-28T17:02:00.000-08:00

Many of you are aware that I will be going to Ukraine in September to present my research as well as visiting and working in the orphanages we are doing research with.

I will be traveling with a delegation that goes to Uzhgorod every fall to do work that enhances the quality of life for children in orphanages there. While much of the trip involves research and education, part of it includes providing the children with life's necessities they wouldn't otherwise have. One such necessity is socks (currently the children only get one or two pairs of socks each year). We are hoping to deliver 2,000 pairs of socks to the orphanages on this year's trip in September.

To help, donate NEW socks of any size February 2-13 in room 2190 JFSB on BYU campus. Socks can also be dropped off at my apartment.

If you do not reside near BYU and still want to help, let me know, and we can work something out!

19 Credits and Four-day weekends.

2009-01-13T08:51:00.000-08:00

I'm in my second week of my second semester of graduate school, and it's finally starting to feel like there is work involved. I think a lot of that is due to the fact that I am enrolled in 19 credits right now and all of those classes are crammed into Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.

So, here the break down of my classes this semester:

Social Work 602: Statistics

Social Work 611: Practicum (finishing up therapy with my client...should be done tomorrow!)

Social Work 622: Psychopathology/DSM-IV-TR

Social Work 661: Group Work

Social Work 662: Advanced Casework

Social Work 664: Community Organization

Social Work 671: Play Therapy

Yeah, so a bit more busy than last semester. Also, for my Graduate Assistant job, Dr. Norman and I are tying up the actual research and statistical analysis part and will be writing it up. We are planning to present at the Fulton Conference at BYU in April, and then again in Ukraine this September.

I'm pretty excited about the Ukraine trip, and right now Dr. Norman and I are planning on starting a sock drive so we will be able to bring socks to the kids in the orphanages (if any of you want to donate or help me, let me know).

In other news, I got three new roommates with the change of the semester, and for the first time in a long time, we all get along great, we are all clean, and we have a blast together! It's a nice change!!

Last week, my friend Tahlia and I had the opportunity to be volunteers at BYU's Sports Hero Day. We had a group of seven 6th graders (there were about 1,000 6th graders total that came) and got to take them around to different stations to meet BYU athletes and have little mini workshops. It was way fun, and it got me pumped up about working with kids again!

I found out a few weeks ago that I will for sure get to work with youth/children when I go back to Wasatch...Hallelujah. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have made it otherwise.

That truly was...a break

2008-12-01T12:11:00.000-08:00

Today is the first day back in class after Thanksgiving break, and I am supposed to be writing a 20 page paper right now, so, of course, I thought it the perfect opportunity to write a new post! This will have to be kind of short, since I really don't have the time to be doing this, but I felt like writing something.

I have to say...my Thanksgiving break was AMAZING! Jeff and I headed up to his parents' place on Tuesday evening and spent the week with them until Friday evening. We had a really great time, and it truly was a real vacation from everything: school, work, home, and all, which I didn't realize I needed as much as I did. We spent most of our time there watching movies, sleeping in, playing with the dogs, visiting, reading, and being lazy. It was pretty dang nice!

Friday night, Shannon, Jeff, Calin, and I decorated our apartment for Christmas. It looks pretty nice, and even though Shannon and I probably own more Christmas decorations than any healthy college students should, we still want to decorate more! It's kind of funny to me that one of my favorite things about Christmas is putting up the decorations.

2008-11-24T16:28:00.000-08:00

Dear friends and family,

Last year, shortly before Christmas, my younger brother, Craig, and his daughter, Mollie, were put in a difficult situation which left them with virtually nothing. In a period of three days, we (my roommate and I), thanks to many of you, were able to raise about $1,000 and two suitcases full of clothing, food, blankets, baby items, and hygiene items for me to take to Washington for them. This was primarily done just by asking for spare change!

I am happy to say that because of the help Craig received, he was able to purchase a reliable vehicle which enabled him to make the commute to his job, so he could provide for himself and his daughter. He now is living in his own place with a roommate and was accepted and has started an electrician apprenticeship program. This probably would not have been possible without the help he received last winter.

When Craig was finally in a more stable situation, he called me and told me about how he wanted to give back. That thought has stuck with me, and my roommate, Shannon, and I decided that we want to do it again this year. For a long time, we weren't sure who in particular we wanted to raise money for. Then, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to visit the LDS Church's Humanitarian Aid Center in Salt Lake and felt I knew where our money ought to go this year. Shannon and I have decided that we are going to raise money this year to purchase and assemble humanitarian aid kits for the Humanitarian Aid Center. These kits will then be distributed across the world, wherever they may be needed.

If any of you are interested in contributing, whether through money donations, specific items for the kits, or in time to help us assemble the kits, please let me know.

We would greatly appreciate any contributions to help us in this effort!

Thanks!

A Little Too Ironic

2008-11-14T13:49:00.001-08:00

So, I JUST found out where I will be doing my internship placements for the Master's Program, and I couldn't help but laugh when I saw where I was placed. My Fall/Winter internship seemed pretty normal and was one I really wanted--Provo School District.

As for my Spring/Summer internship...well, let's just say Wasatch Mental Health will be seeing me a lot sooner than they expected! Yup, that's right...right back to where I came from! I don't know which department I'll be in...I'm crossing my fingers for youth (that's what I put on my sheet for what I wanted).

Anyway, though y'all would want to know!

On a lighter note...

2008-11-06T17:47:00.000-08:00

I found this the other day. It was a free write I did last year when I was out of school and missing writing papers. Shannon gave me a title and a list of words to write off of.

The title I had to use:
The Price of Tea in China

The words I had to use:
Duck
Blimey
Shepherd
Pariodontist
Antidisestablishmentarianism
“Sugar Daddy”

The essay:
Do you know where your stocks really are? Is it all really about Dow Jones and the NASDAQ? A few months ago, most Americans would have answered “yes” to both questions. Now things have changed. Yesterday marks three months since we first heard the story of Sou Lee of Sapporo, Japan about the secret rise of the stock market there—in the duck hunting industry of all places. Recently, an article published in Time magazine, “Who’s Your Sugar Daddy?”, became a fresh source of controversy surrounding the ongoing debate of today’s stock market and the shift of power from Wall Street to a town, which up until recently, was known only to its residents and other nearby towns. The city—Gou Yun, China. The market—an industry specializing in spelling bee study courses in conjunction with martial arts.
Sources say parents of elementary-aged school children are investing millions in the business. One consumer commented, “Oh, I definitely trust where my money is going. I have no doubt that Shepherd’s Spelling and Samurai will be the number one company in China within the year. My six-year-old was able to spell antidisestablishmentarianism while karate chopping a piece of wood within two weeks of starting the course.” The founder of SSS, Tea Shepherd, a former periodontist from Sydney, Austrailia, who moved to Gou Yun to teach English, commented, “Blimey! I had no idea it would take off as it has. I’m still completely astonished. I feel like a little kid who gets the duck in Duck Hunt.”
The sensation has come to be known as “The Price of Tea,” an obvious name play on the name of the SSS creator. And now the question looms—where will you buy into for your next investment? The stocks that are old news, or Shepherd’s Spelling and Samurai, the new company with a strange name that could very well determine our children’s future?

All You Need is Love

2008-11-06T09:36:00.000-08:00

A multitude of things have been going on in the world, in my schooling, and in my personal life that have caused me to reflect on the worth of individuals and the need of everyone to be loved.

I was speaking with a loved one recently, and he shared with me that he had never really felt loved. It broke my heart to hear this, as it was someone I had loved as long as I could remember, and I want nothing more than for him to know he is loved. Unfortunately, this has only been one of many similar instances recently.

A few weeks ago in my cognitive therapy class, we were talking about the core beliefs that we hold. Dr. Norman gave each of us a sheet of paper with blanks after the phrases “I am,” “Others are,” and “The world is.” Each of us was to fill-in-the-blank after each of those phrases reflecting our personal beliefs.

I was shocked as we began to discuss it because most of my classmates reflected beliefs of themselves as failures. They felt that to be “successful,” they had to achieve certain benchmarks in life (e.g. successfully complete their MSW). As more comments were made reflecting the same kind of thoughts, I felt the need to raise my hand to share what I had written.

While I do have insecurities, I also feel confidence in my abilities. I wrote of myself, “I am a valuable and talented person.” About others, I wrote, “Others are valuable by virtue of being a person and a child of God.” I brought up the point that, as therapists, we one, need to believe that each person is a valuable human being without having to meet certain conditions, and furthermore, we ought to help our clients see that their value or success as a person is not attached to some tangible benchmark they (or someone else) place on themselves.

The world tells us that to be somebody of value or success or somebody worth being loved, we have to achieve X amount of education, earn X amount of dollars, or participate in X types or amounts of activities.

Over and over again, the message I am getting from many people is that they don’t feel loved and don’t feel they deserve to be loved. I ache to hear this. I believe that each and every one of us is a child of God. Furthermore, I believe that He loves each of us more than any of us could ever comprehend in this mortality.