Don't get me wrong. I'm super social. There is hardly anything that I love more than meeting people. I mean, I was a Junior Officer and am now Student Body Officer to a 5A school. Yes, I love my social life.
But recently something changed inside of me. I've always loved talking one-on-one, but I've never really appreciated it like I do now. Going to big parties doesn't really appeal to me at the moment. And not just because it's 11:49 at night, but because I love individual time!
So what changed? Good question. I don't know the answer. I think it's mainly because I really want to get to know people; I don't want to have just casual chit-chat. I want to share my thoughts and I want to be able to converse. I have this really incredible friend named Katie. She is such a blessing in my life. She is the easiest person to talk to. I honestly don't think I've ever shared so many thoughts with anyone as I've shared with Katie. And the thing is, she has the most incredible insight on everything. It is nice to have friends who appreciate individual time and make the best of it.
My testimony and love for the Gospel has increased so much the past week months. This increase of knowledge has really made me reflect more on my life. I believe that is a portion of the reason why I want individual time. The Spirit can be felt so much more strongly in a setting with a few people, whereas being surrounded by people isn't always the most spiritual time (except for at church and stuff...but I'm talking about parties). Here is an experience that happened two weeks before school got out.
I had been at a party or somewhere with several friends. When I got home I for some reason felt really lonely. I knew I had friends, but I felt like I had none. I remember crying so hard as I said a very long prayer to the very best friend I have ever had. I asked Him why I felt that way. I asked Him to show His love and show me that He really does care. I don't remember everything that I said, but it was long. The next day was a Sunday. Church was great. After church I took a nice nap outside. When I woke up, I went inside and found a note addressed to me on the kitchen counter. I read through it several times because it seemed so unreal. My dear friend Marissa had written an anonymous note (my sister was in the tree when she dropped it off) that comforted me beyond belief. She addressed everything I had prayed about the night before. Later that night I received another anonymous note that was very simple, but it let me know that I am loved. The next day another dear friend wrote me a note and gave me incredible advice. The point of this story is to testify that the Lord has an eye on us. He cares about us more that we could ever fathom. I am blessed with incredible friends who follow the promptings of the Spirit and wrote me notes when I needed it most. They probably didn't even realize they were following promptings of the Holy Ghost.
Experiences like that one have brought me closer to my Heavenly Father. I have been more filled with the Spirit, and more desirous to be available when He needs me to help someone. I guess I don't really know if I've ever helped someone out by the anonymous notes I write, but I like to think that I'm guided to write notes to those specific friends for a reason.
Back to my original point, remember that parties are great, but try spending some one-on-one time. You'll probably grow a lot closer to your friends that way.
Kira
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Changed for good
There are so many people in my life that have helped form who I am today. I have so many close friends who have been there when I needed it most, who have helped me get through everything, and who have continued to be my friends even after I moved away. Apart from friends though, there are many adults who taught me about life. A couple months ago I labeled an entry in my journal "People Who Have Influenced My Life" and proceeded to write down nine names and quick descriptions of what they taught me. I read through this list the other day and was quite fascinated by the people I had chosen to write about. None of these people (with the exception of Kaycee) are good friends that I've kept in contact with. Most of them were just teachers, doing their duties. Let me tell you about these people.
Dr Sherry Miller (school director in Guatemala) - "She taught me to be happy. She taught me the importance of being truly sincere." Dr. Miller had a way of making you feel like the most important human being when she talked to you. She constantly had a gleaming smile.
Mariah Hancock (roommate at a nature camp I went to in 8th grade) - "Taught me by her example the importance of scripture study every single night with no exceptions." Every night Mariah would stop what she was doing and take time to read her scriptures and write in her journal. I was so impressed and asked her about it one day, and she told me she hadn't missed a day in 3 years. I learned from her example and am happy to say that it has been 3 years and I have not missed a day in my scripture study.
Shannon Webb (Brighton Girls Camp counselor) - "She was very encouraging and intent on teaching me to love individuality." Shannon was so enthusiastic at camp and helped me have so much fun. She encouraged us to be proud of being ourselves.
Jade Constantineau (5th grade teacher) - "Taught me to love learning and love working with people. She also helped me to be organized." Ms. C was probably one of the most influential people in my school life. I wouldn't be the student I am without her.
Amie Huggins (9th grade AP Human Geography teacher) - She got me excited to learn. She taught me to work hard. She is someone who I trust very much." Ms. Huggins loved teaching and her love for teaching was felt as a student. Because of her love, I too wanted to love learning. Plus, after that school year I went and visited her at her house (creepy, I know, but she gave us Otter Pops!)
Brother Gibson (9th grade seminary teacher) - "He encouraged me to consistently and constantly be studying scriptures." Brother Gibson was my first seminary teacher, and I was blessed to have him when we studied the Book of Mormon. He encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon every day, and let me tell you that it strengthened my testimony so much.
Kaycee Prevedel (groupmate at nature camp) - "She taught me the influence of friends. She also helped me feel more comfortable talking about the gospel, even though she is not LDS." We were in the same group at Nature Camp and I was super shy. But one day while I was standing to the side of the group, Kaycee invited me to help her core a tree, and it meant the world to me. We have kept in contact over the years, in fact I saw her this past weekend. Kaycee and I had several discussions about the gospel, and because of her I feel more comfortable talking about my beliefs.
Megan Beltinck (6th grade English and Social Studies teacher) - "Because of her I learned the importance of being honest and sticking up for myself. She accused me of cheating, but because of my honesty she believed me when I said I had not." Ms. Beltinck was a phenomenal teacher. However one day we were taking a test and she thought I had cheated. This was so hard for me, because I knew I had not cheated, and all my classmates knew I had not cheated. After talking to her on several occasions she realized that I was an honest girl and I truly had not cheated.
Matthew King (6th grade Math and Science teacher) - "He saw the best in me and knew my potential." Mr. King had a monotone voice. I loved the activities that he did to help us learn, but I never really like him. At the end of my 6th grade year, the whole Middle School gathered in the auditorium for an awards ceremony. They announced that one student would be called up and awarded "Most Enthusiastic Middle School Student". I was appalled when my name was read. I stood in the middle of the stage while Mr. King gave a speech about me. I think I'll post that speech at the end of this post. Mr. King understood me and he knew that I would succeed in life if I put forth the effort.
Of course, there are other people who have influenced me, but these are very specific moments that changed who I was. Anyway, yesterday I decided I wanted to thank some of these people. I am Facebook friends with Ms C and Shannon Webb. I wrote a quick, sincere note to both of them, thanking them for what they taught me. Last night after going to sauna at 11:30 with my good friend Marissa, I decided to check Facebook real quick. I was stunned to see a message from Ms. C. This is what she wrote:
Kira
Dr Sherry Miller (school director in Guatemala) - "She taught me to be happy. She taught me the importance of being truly sincere." Dr. Miller had a way of making you feel like the most important human being when she talked to you. She constantly had a gleaming smile.
Mariah Hancock (roommate at a nature camp I went to in 8th grade) - "Taught me by her example the importance of scripture study every single night with no exceptions." Every night Mariah would stop what she was doing and take time to read her scriptures and write in her journal. I was so impressed and asked her about it one day, and she told me she hadn't missed a day in 3 years. I learned from her example and am happy to say that it has been 3 years and I have not missed a day in my scripture study.
Shannon Webb (Brighton Girls Camp counselor) - "She was very encouraging and intent on teaching me to love individuality." Shannon was so enthusiastic at camp and helped me have so much fun. She encouraged us to be proud of being ourselves.
Jade Constantineau (5th grade teacher) - "Taught me to love learning and love working with people. She also helped me to be organized." Ms. C was probably one of the most influential people in my school life. I wouldn't be the student I am without her.
Amie Huggins (9th grade AP Human Geography teacher) - She got me excited to learn. She taught me to work hard. She is someone who I trust very much." Ms. Huggins loved teaching and her love for teaching was felt as a student. Because of her love, I too wanted to love learning. Plus, after that school year I went and visited her at her house (creepy, I know, but she gave us Otter Pops!)
Brother Gibson (9th grade seminary teacher) - "He encouraged me to consistently and constantly be studying scriptures." Brother Gibson was my first seminary teacher, and I was blessed to have him when we studied the Book of Mormon. He encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon every day, and let me tell you that it strengthened my testimony so much.
Kaycee Prevedel (groupmate at nature camp) - "She taught me the influence of friends. She also helped me feel more comfortable talking about the gospel, even though she is not LDS." We were in the same group at Nature Camp and I was super shy. But one day while I was standing to the side of the group, Kaycee invited me to help her core a tree, and it meant the world to me. We have kept in contact over the years, in fact I saw her this past weekend. Kaycee and I had several discussions about the gospel, and because of her I feel more comfortable talking about my beliefs.
Megan Beltinck (6th grade English and Social Studies teacher) - "Because of her I learned the importance of being honest and sticking up for myself. She accused me of cheating, but because of my honesty she believed me when I said I had not." Ms. Beltinck was a phenomenal teacher. However one day we were taking a test and she thought I had cheated. This was so hard for me, because I knew I had not cheated, and all my classmates knew I had not cheated. After talking to her on several occasions she realized that I was an honest girl and I truly had not cheated.
Matthew King (6th grade Math and Science teacher) - "He saw the best in me and knew my potential." Mr. King had a monotone voice. I loved the activities that he did to help us learn, but I never really like him. At the end of my 6th grade year, the whole Middle School gathered in the auditorium for an awards ceremony. They announced that one student would be called up and awarded "Most Enthusiastic Middle School Student". I was appalled when my name was read. I stood in the middle of the stage while Mr. King gave a speech about me. I think I'll post that speech at the end of this post. Mr. King understood me and he knew that I would succeed in life if I put forth the effort.
Of course, there are other people who have influenced me, but these are very specific moments that changed who I was. Anyway, yesterday I decided I wanted to thank some of these people. I am Facebook friends with Ms C and Shannon Webb. I wrote a quick, sincere note to both of them, thanking them for what they taught me. Last night after going to sauna at 11:30 with my good friend Marissa, I decided to check Facebook real quick. I was stunned to see a message from Ms. C. This is what she wrote:
Kira,So go thank someone for what they've taught you. It might be exactly what they need to hear.
Wow, what an absolutely wonderful message!! What you wrote is every teacher's dream! I really appreciate you taking the time to write and let me know that I made a difference in your life. I feel very honoured to be on that list, as I am positive that I am in some very good company. I am fortunate in that I love what I do, but hearing from ex-students like you and learning that I influenced them in ways that I wasn't aware of is priceless!!
For what it's worth, you were a joy to teach. I remember you as a bright, enthusiastic student who served as an extremely positive role model to others. You were vivacious, out-going, and always good for a laugh. I can see that you are still that person by many of the posts and pictures of yours that I see on Facebook. I also love seeing that you and Camry are still the best of friends. It's amazing that you'd meet such a close friend in grade 5 in Guatemala. Who would have thought?
I'm so happy that you find joy in helping others. And I'm also so happy that I had a small part in that. It's a wonderful skill that will serve you well in life.
Once again, thanks for your message. It came on a very busy, stressful day. It was exactly what I needed and reading it brought tears to my eyes.
Take care, stay in touch, and I hope that you hold onto that positive, out-going, crazy (in the very best way, of course) person that you are!
Love,
Ms C
Kira
Monday, June 25, 2012
Knowledge...Wisdom...Understanding
One of my goals this summer is to finish Personal Progress. And I've been making some good progress! (haha go Kira) Today for Family Home Evening my parents helped me out with studying about knowledge.
Knowledge, wisdom, understanding...all words that are super similar, but what's the marking difference?
Knowledge comes first. It is being familiar with the facts, truths, or principles after studying something. Knowledge is a great thing to have. But what makes knowledge valuable is putting it to use. Which leads to wisdom.
Wisdom is having knowledge and knowing how to put it to use. I love dictionaries, and here is the Oxford definition that I really like, "experience and knowledge together with the power of applying them". When I think of wisdom, I think of old people. They have learned the things the know and mastered those things through experience. I believe we can gain wisdom by learning from other people and taking in their counsel. By that I don't only mean your grandparents, I also mean the scriptures. The people who wrote the scriptures were real people, plus they were inspired of God. And who isn't more wise than God himself?
Along with wisdom comes understanding. Proverbs 4:7 says, "Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding." Understanding, to me, is more of a gift. It is using wisdom to get the bigger picture, to accept multiple points of view, and make use of both sides of a story. Understanding is what our politics lack. If we only understood both sides and found a way to balance them out, we'd be so much better off. Here's a story from my life where understanding became a huge blessing. A couple of weeks ago I was given the wonderful opportunity to attend Girls' State. While there, a girl who belongs to the Roman Catholic church asked me many questions concerning my beliefs. Because I grew up in predominately Roman Catholic countries, I understand her religion very well. Because of my understanding, I was able to relate her religion to mine and make connections. Although I do not necessarily agree with all the doctrine of the Catholic church, I understand that many of it is correct and coincides with my beliefs. How do we become understanding? Doctrine and Covenants 90:15, "And set in order the churches, and study and learn, and become acquainted with all good books, and with languages, tongues, and people." We gain understanding by studying a variety of subjects, making our knowledge very broad. This way we can relate more easily and understand both sides of a subject.
Have you ever sat there, trying to think deep thoughts and before you know it you're thinking about the difference between llamas and alpacas, or the cute boy you saw today, or what's for dinner? That happens to me a lot. I want to just sit and think, but my mind travels too quickly. Well, today I realized that when I'm talking and sharing my thoughts, that is when more thoughts come and I explore more deeply. Have you ever realized there are scriptures telling us to teach and to talk about what we are thinking? D&C 88:77-78. Word. "Teach ye diligently...that you may be instructed more perfectly..." That's why we are supposed to bear our testimonies. Because when we are teaching, we learn for ourselves. Going back to the story about Girls' State, one of the questions I remember best that she asked was about Joseph Smith. I told the story of the First Vision and the events that went on before and after. I don't know if my friend was touched, but I was so touched by how strong my testimony was and how much I truly do know that Joseph Smith was truly visited by God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Bearing my testimony to my friend helped me strengthen my testimony.
So that is my interpretation of knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. They all are very intertwined and connected, and all come as a result of having one and expanding on it.
Go out there and bear your testimony. Find a friend who you can converse with and share your thoughts. (I'll be that friend!)
kirsten harmony johnson
Why hello blogging life
I've considered doing a blog for awhile now, but never really got around to it. I've always had a journal to write down my feelings and stuff, only I'm not very consistent about writing. However, the other day I had a sleep over with my good friend Katie. Before she went to bed she wrote in her journal. She showed me a journal that she had just barely finished and I was super impressed by it. We talked about how neat it will be for our posterity to read through our thoughts and our spiritual journey. Then I realized that the journals I've written in are pretty pointless. Every now and then I write something spiritual, but mainly all my journal entries have to do with drama and lame stuff that I don't normally like talking about. It hit me when I was talking to Katie that I need to 1. write more often in my journal and 2. write mainly about my spiritual journey, silly things I do, and maybe trends of our days. I think those three things will be most interesting for other people to read. So ever since that sleepover I have been more dedicated to writing in my journal.
Yesterday I was on Instagram looking at my friend Ella's pictures. She had a link to her blog, so I checked it out. I read every single one of her posts and was so impressed by her ability to write. She writes about really neat things and sneaks in little stories here and there. I really thoroughly enjoyed reading her blog. Here's the link so you can check it out: http://undermyumberellagirl.blogspot.com.
Last night I was writing in my journal and my thoughts were going a million miles per hour and I couldn't even keep track of all of them. Then a brilliant thought came to me. "I should start blogging!" So this blog is not for your enjoyment, it is more me to quickly type down my thoughts when they're going super fast. This blog isn't for everyone to see, so if I give you the link to it, you're probably one of my closer friends.
We'll see how this works out, but I really like the idea of being able to quickly get my thoughts out of my head. I'll continue to write in my journal though, so unless I really consider you a close friend, you won't be reading any of that stuff!
Peace. Love.
Kira
Yesterday I was on Instagram looking at my friend Ella's pictures. She had a link to her blog, so I checked it out. I read every single one of her posts and was so impressed by her ability to write. She writes about really neat things and sneaks in little stories here and there. I really thoroughly enjoyed reading her blog. Here's the link so you can check it out: http://undermyumberellagirl.blogspot.com.
Last night I was writing in my journal and my thoughts were going a million miles per hour and I couldn't even keep track of all of them. Then a brilliant thought came to me. "I should start blogging!" So this blog is not for your enjoyment, it is more me to quickly type down my thoughts when they're going super fast. This blog isn't for everyone to see, so if I give you the link to it, you're probably one of my closer friends.
We'll see how this works out, but I really like the idea of being able to quickly get my thoughts out of my head. I'll continue to write in my journal though, so unless I really consider you a close friend, you won't be reading any of that stuff!
Peace. Love.
Kira
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