Coming Home

The woman in my ward had a rare opportunity today.
We were able to go this morning and tour a small portion of the new Provo City Temple.
More particularly we toured the "Bridal" areas. So we were able to see where the Brides get ready to get married, where the guests wait, the celestial room, and the sealing room.

It was beautiful.
A wonderful spiritual experience.

And the temple itself was amazing.
One of the girls in my group said it perfectly when she said "It felt like you walked into a home."

Its true.
It felt like you'd just come home walking through this temple. It was so warm and inviting.
And you could totally feel the love, and see the craftsmanship that went into constructing this temple.

How they blended new with the old. How they honored the details that had been in the then tabernacle before it was destroyed into a fire, and how they've become....in a way more perfected as a temple.

I feel like I could spend forever within those temple walls.
Because honestly.
It was like coming home.

I'm so glad that I was able to go this morning to experience this.
Hopefully soon enough I'll be able to return. To take the other tour of the temple, and not just the small glimpse. :)

If you can.
Go. See. This. Temple!
It's beautiful.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

New Movies!

I have a bit of a liking for Disney Channel Movies.

lol, To my Roommate's horror.
Because she dislikes basically all of them with a passion.
Which usually results in her leaving the room whenever I get in the mood to watch one.

:)
And I'm able to watch them because Netflix has a lot of them. ^^
Not all of them, but a lot of them.

But Netflix won't have them on their site forever.
So the other day I decided to order a few of my favorites. :)
Plus one called Descendants that I hadn't seen yet. (I ended up liking it as well. :) )

In any case.
They arrived yesterday.
So I've been spending a bit of time watching them.

And I've discovered a fun little thing about these DVDs that I got.
Disney includes jewelry within!

^^
I got a new necklace, bracelet, and zipper thingy that tie into the movies, that I can actually wear!
So! Cool!

Especially when I only noticed that Descendants came with the bracelet.
I hadn't expected the other movies to have little things included as well.

Which made opening them even the more fun. ^^

Yay for new things!
lol Yay for Disney Channel Movies. :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

KFP3 plus Noodles

So, I just saw Kung Fu Panda 3 with friends.

Can I say.
I loved the movie?
Because I Loved it.
It has to be my favorite of the three right now.

As with the first two movies.
I liked them alright,
Didn't have a desperate need to see them again though.

And I was alright with seeing this one.
Wasn't anxious to go see it.

But my friend loves the movies. :) And she was super excited to go see them.
To the point where to celebrate the occasion we all went and got Chinese Food before seeing the movie. lol.
You know...gotta have those noodles. ^^

It was a fun entertaining watch.
Good action.
Lots of laughs throughout.

Really, I was just entertained by the audience I was with.
because they were laughing constantly throughout the movie.
Which means its a good movie. ^^

I would recommend going to go see it.

I may even go see it twice. *shrugs*
Guess we'll see. :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Upon the Mountain Tops

Not long after our friend Carolyn Rasmus joined the faculty of Brigham Young University, a group of her new teaching colleagues invited her to join them on a Saturday hike in the mountains above Provo.

Carolyn was not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but she had felt particularly welcome in her new circle of associates.

She eagerly joined them for the climb.

As the sun steadily rose, so did the hikers on the mountainside.

Then, as the ten o'clock hour approached, the group began to find places to sit down.

Carolyn thought, "This is wonderful.

How did they know I needed the rest?" and she, too, looked for a comfortable spot to stretch out.

But the participants seemed unusually earnest about this particular break,, some pulling out pencils and notebooks while one intently dialed a transistor radio.

What then happened would be a turning point in her life forever.

One of her friends said, "Carolyn, we need to explain something.

This is the first Sunday in October; and for us that means not only lovely weather and bright fall foliage, but it also means a general conference of the Church.

As Latter-day saints, wherever we are or whatever we are doing, we stop and listen.

So we are going to sit here among the oak and the pines, look out over the valley below, and listen to the prophets of God for a couple of hours."

"A couple of hours!" thought Carolyn.

"I didn't know there were prophets of God still living," she said, "and I certainly didn't know there were two hours' worth!"

Little did she know that they were going to stop again at two o'clock that afternoon for another two hours and then invite her to tune in at home for four more the next day.

Well, the rest is history.

With the gift of a leather-bound copy of the scriptures from her students, the love of friends and families in the LDS ward she began to attend, and spiritual experiences we want all who make their way into the light of the gospel to have, Carolyn was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church.

The rest is, as they say, history.

With her introduction to general conference that day sitting high atop Y mountain, Sister Rasmus had seen her own personal fulfillment of Isaiah's prophetic invitation: "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem."

-Jeffrey R. Holland -Prophets in the Land Again -October 2006 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Irritational Everything

It's been one of those days.
Where I was really really easily irritated.
Where one small thing just kinda set off the irritation buzzer in my head.
Which made little nuisances down right annoyances.

Everything and Everyone started irritating me on some level.
Which is so weird.
And rare.
But it was just one of those days.
*shakes head*

Who knows for sure what set it off.
But one of the causes for annoyances were my eyes.
Because the contacts weren't fitting right or something.
Basically they were being...well...pokey isn't the right word.
But one eye was hazy like I wasn't wearing them, and it felt like I had something in my eye (like an eyelash or a bump on the contact lens or something) that wouldn't go away.

Whatever it was. This irritation.
it sure did irritate my eyes. To the point where they felt dry.
To the point where I wondered if the contact lenses were even allowing my eyes to breathe.

So when I got home.
I took out my contacts.
To find some relief.

And ow. Pain.

My eyes screamed at me basically.
Watering, burning, closing because the light and the irritation in the eye and stuff became too much.

Not a good sign really.
To have irritated eyes.
So I left them out.
To let me eyes breathe without the contact lenses in them.
Not a big deal really, as I wasn't doing anything that required being able to see far away.
And it helped a bit.

Until I nearly left for my Institute class without putting them back in. lol.

They burned again when I put the contacts in. *sighs*
Which means still irritated eyes.
Hopefully some sleep will help solve the problem.
But if it doesn't....maybe its a sign to switch to new contact lenses.
It will be a couple of days early.
But perhaps fresh ones will help out the irritation if sleep doesn't. :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Here Comes The Headache

I hate headaches.
I mean, half the time, I think they come to me out of spite.
"Oh, you're planning to do something fun today?"
WHAM! Headache.
"Oh, this is stressing you out?"
WHAM! Headache.

Basically, I think headache is lonely.
As it's been dropping by basically everyday this week.
Who knows why.
Stress? Probably.
Lack of Sleep? Probably.
Being Sick? Probably.

I'm sure there's a million reasons why I got a headache.

Though really,
I'm pretty sure it's because I did something that was out of my comfort zone today.
And it had been hanging over my head the entire day really.
Because I had to get through work first.
And there it was.
This thing.
Hanging over my head.
Wiggling about in the back of mind.
Its no surprise that it would cause stress to wiggle its way back there.

Usually the unknown causes that sort of problem.
And encourages Headache to come near.

So, what was the possible headache inducing thing that I did today?
I went to the Bank.
Why?
To check out what I would need to do to get a home loan.
For you know...a Home.

Because my current plan for rooming with a coworker fell through.
I'm just checking out other options.
As I really don't want to have to deal with student housing apts again for another year.

So I want to see if I can afford to buy a house/townhouse.
Obviously, I more than likely can....but really I just need a price range to look in. Of a feasible plan to possibly buy a house, one that I can live in.
It's one of many options I'm looking into.
I mean, I can always go find an apt to rent again.
But really, I'm looking into something different.
And buying something is definitely different than renting.

Still is going to be a work in progress this thing.
I still don't know what I can afford to go for yet.
But at least I'll have a better idea of where I stand when I do find out. To see if I can go for this buying thing....or if I need to rent for another year and save more money.
Guess we'll see. :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

April 2008 General Conference Sunday Morning

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -Faith of Our Father

• "Be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak; lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."
• We honor and respect sincere souls from all religions, no matter where or when they lived, who have loved God, even without having the fullness of the gospel. We lift our voices in gratitude for their selflessness and courage. We embrace them as brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father.
• We believe that it is a fundamental human right to worship "Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may."
• True religion should not originate from what pleases men or the traditions of ancestors, but rather from what pleases God, our Eternal Father.

D. Todd Christofferson -Born Again

• Spiritual rebirth originates with faith in Jesus Christ, by whose grace we are changed.

Sheldon F. Child -The Best Investment

• President Thomas S. Monson, in speaking about God's laws, stated: "Violate them and we suffer lasting consequences. Obey them and we reap everlasting joy."
• Regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves, if we first pay our obligation to the Lord and then use wisdom and good judgment, the Lord will help us manage the resources He has given us.
• "Obedience to the law of tithing ... brings a deep, inward joy ... that can be won in no other way. ... The principles of truth become clearer. ... Prayer becomes easier. ... The spiritual sense is sharpened [and] ... man becomes more like his Father in Heaven."

Susan W. Tanner -My Soul Delighteth in the Things of the Lord

• I never fail to be struck by the way that women, young women, and even little girls seem to have an instinctive interest and ability in nurturing.

Boyd K. Packer -The Twelve

• "We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelists, and so forth."
• The present Twelve are very ordinary people. They are not, as the original Twelve were not, spectacular individually, but collectively the Twelve are a power.
• "My life is like my shoes--to be worn out in service."
• The scriptures describe the Twelve as "traveling councilors."
• "Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.

Thomas S. Monson -Looking Back and Moving Forward

• Throughout the journey along the pathway of life, there are casualties. Some depart from the road markers which point toward life eternal, only to discover the detour chosen ultimately leads to a dead end. Indifference, carelessness, selfishness, and sin all take their costly toll in human lives.
• The world can at times be a frightening place in which to live. The moral fabric of society seems to be unraveling at an alarming speed. None--whether young or old or in-between--is exempt from exposure to those things which have the potential to drag us down and destroy us. Our youth, our precious youth, in particular, face temptations we can scarcely comprehend. The adversary and his hosts seem to be working nonstop to cause our downfall.
• We are waging a war with sin, my brothers and sisters, but we need not despair. It is a war we can and will win. Our Father in Heaven has given us the tools we need in order to do so. He is at the helm. We have nothing to fear. He is the God of light. He is the God of hope.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Dinner with Family

Family dinners are always interesting.
Extended Families that is.
Because each family dynamic is different.
Its always a bit of an adjustment when you visit family you don't see that often.
Especially if you're used to quiet households,
And you go to a vibrant crazy chaotic one.

It's a bit overwhelming.
Or at least noisy.

In any case.
I went over to family a few days ago.
To make Tacozanga for them.
As my Aunt wanted to make it with me, so she could learn how to make it.

Unfortunately.
I had a bit of roommate drama right before I went over.
That delayed me.

And my Aunt decided that we should postpone making Tacozanga.
Because she didn't want me to deal with more stress than necessary.
Especially after stress of roommate Drama.
It was actually very considerate of her.
As cooking Tacozanga is a time consuming process that takes about an hour to make.
And if you're mind's not on it.
Things can easily burn.

So instead we got food to go.
And watched a movie.
Relaxing a bit -admittedly when all my Cousins and their menagerie of friends and gf/bfs left the room lol. So much energy and noise while they were there. I have no idea how my Aunt and Uncle can deal with it so often. lol. I suppose they got used to it.

But it was fun. To see so many people laughing and goofing off. Though I wasn't in the mood to join, it was entertaining to watch. :)

Yet.... I had my heart set on Tacozanga.
So, My Aunt and I decided we should meet up tonight and make it.
I was expecting it to be just my Extended Family.
But when I got there.
There were still the menagerie of friends and gf/bfs there. Some were the same as a few days ago, some were people I hadn't yet met.
In any case. That meant a lot of people.

Which means, the normal amount of Tacozanga...wouldn't do.
Luckily, my Aunt was aware of this, and so planned ahead and got more ingredients.
So we had enough to make a huge pan of Tacozanga. Like double the size of my usual 9x13 pan I use.

When I got there, she'd already had half of the ingredients cooked up.
So really all I needed to do was show her how I layer everything together.

And all the while, my Aunt was bragging to my Cousin's friends. That when they ate my Tacozanga. They would want to marry me lol.

;) I got 3 Marriage Proposals before Dinner was over. ;) lol.

So I have to say that all in all, it was a good night. :D

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

What a Name

We got a new coworker in my department this week.
Because another coworker of mine ended up transferring to a different store.

Which left us a bit short.
So while I was gone on vacation.
They went and hired a new girl.

Who is going to work Evening Shifts.
Which means I'm basically never going to see her.
As I work Morning Shifts.

And rarely do Morning and Evening Shifts cross paths.

Basically if I do see her it will be to hand off my keys and go clock out.

In any case.

There is usually not much to remark on,
Getting a new coworker.

As I've had a ton of them in the past.

And upon knowing that my one coworker was transferring,
I wondered if they would hire someone else.

I had initially thought they wouldn't.
Because we'd hired back a coworker of mine who'd left and then come back to the store.
And as she was already trained in my dept.
I thought they'd just move her over full time, instead of having her split shifts between Cashiering and Petcare.

Instead.
They hired a new girl.
Which is always fun.
I like getting new people into the store. :)

But the crazy thing....
Is when I found out her name.
Because her name?

Is my Brother's name.
Spelt nearly the same. But with two 'R's while my brother spells his with one 'R'.

It's a rare name, that I've only ever seen as a last name or as a guys name.
So to have her have his name.

Totally mind boggling.

And it made me curious to meet her.
This person who shares my brother's name.

It took an entire week.
Because we work opposite shifts.
But as punishment for taking work off last week.
(Probably not intentional punishment, I usually call shifts from normal work schedules punishments for something done earlier or would be done later.)
I was scheduled for a closing shift.
And they asked her to come in (she had the day off originally)
To help us cover the department, as one of our people was moved to an early shift to help cover unloading a truck and stocking the shelves.

So I was finally able to meet her!
And I'm really sad that I'm probably never going to see her again.
Because I really like her.
She has a good friendly personality.
And I was getting along with her rather nicely.

lol.
So she does well to share my brother's name.

Though apparently,
Until she moved to CollegeTown (she's from Virginia)
She hadn't really met other people with her name.
But upon moving to CollegeTown, she's met four people now who have her name or know someone who has her name.
And they're all guys.

I guess there are two sides to everything. lol. It must be weird for her to meet all these people with her name and have them all be guys.

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Drama Unfolded

It was going to happen at some point.
Because when you live with three other people.
Blow ups happen.
Because we have such different personalities.
Eventually things just wear thin.
And things go haywire.

It happened today.
The Roommate drama.

Where things that had been simmering under the surface finally came to a head.
Where we just had to have a 'clearing of the air' moment.

Thankfully nothing was broken and no one was injured.

But it was a bit of an emotional rollercoaster on all sides I think.
Having people throwing accusations at each other.
Having legit tantrums about perspective.

And really.
Its a matter of perspective.
As we were reading way too much into things that actually weren't there.
Misunderstanding intentions.
Misunderstanding each other waaaay too much.

But after the roller coaster.
We'd managed to clarify things out.
Specify what makes us tick and what we don't like or what we're actually doing in certain scenarios.
And open back up the roads of communication that had been shut down between some of us.
To understand each other.

I admit.
I didn't do much talking during this whole encounter.
I was mostly there for support (and to make sure nobody got injured lol.)
But in a way.
It was interesting.
Because I felt like, afterwards, that what I did was...
Basically to help lighten the mood.

It wasn't like I was trying to be funny and make a joke out of the whole thing.
It was more, at the right moments.
I would say something to make people smile, or laugh.
and just help to ease tensions away from the dark angry storm that was all over.
As we were able to step up out of the darkness.
A bit at a time.

And end things on a good note where I think everyone was calm and accepting and a bit happier again.

It at least worked well enough that my roomies all went out for icecream together. :)
(I had other plans so I couldn't make that part of it.)
And were hanging out together without it being tense when I got back.

So this blow up.
Appears to be something we all desperately needed.
As the atmosphere in the apt feels a lot better now.

I hope it stays that way.
Because another blow up....would be rather intense.

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Blessings From Tithing

Elder Lynn Robbins of the Seventy tells this story of a stake president from Panama.
As a young man recently returned from his mission, he found the girl he wanted to marry.
They were happy, but very poor.

Then came a particularly difficult time when their food and money ran out.
It was a Saturday, and the cupboard was literally bare.
Rene felt distraught that his young wife was hungry.
He decided he had no other choice than to use their tithing money and go purchase food.

As he was leaving the house, his wife stopped him and asked him where he was going.
He told her he was going to buy food.
She asked him where he got the money.
He told her that it was the tithing money.
She said, "That is the Lord's money--you will not use that to buy food."
her faith was stronger than his.
He put the money back, and they went to bed hungry that night.

The next morning they had no breakfast, and they went to church fasting.
Rene gave the tithing money to the bishop, but he was too proud to tell the bishop that they were in need.

After the meetings he and his wife left the chapel and started to walk home.
They hadn't gone very far when a new member called to them from his house.
This man was a fisherman and told them he had more fish than he could use.
He wrapped five little fish in a newspaper for them, and they thanked him.
As they continued to walk home, they were stopped by another member who gave them tortillas; then someone else stopped them and gave them rice; another member saw them and gave them beans.

When they arrived home, they had enough food for two weeks.
They were even more surprised when they unwrapped the package of fish and found two very large fish and not the five smaller ones they thought they had seen.
They cut the fish in portions and stored it in their neighbor's freezer.

They have repeatedly testified that never since have they gone hungry.

-Gordon B. Hinckley -In the Arms of His Love -October 2006 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

An Expression Of Freedom

It was the end of a long day.
Heat.
People.
Stress of a new place.

I was glad to be on the tender boat.
Heading back to the cruise ship.
Ready to lie down.
Maybe eat something.

I was just staring outside of the tender boat.
Looking at the water.
Watching the pelicans.
Watching a seal popping out of the water in the distance...maybe it was a sea lion. I don't remember the difference right now.

In any case.
I saw something different.

Out of the water.
Jumped a Manta Ray.

Its wings/flippers flapping in the air.

As it flipped four times in the air before falling back into the water.

Multiple times it did this.

The manta ray.

It was amazing!
I didn't get any pictures of it. Y_Y
Mostly because I was too enthralled to get the pictures taken.
And it was far away enough that I wouldn't have gotten a good picture anyways.

In any case.
It was amazing.
Watching it.

It was like an expression of freedom, of joy.

And it made me really happy to see it. ^^

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Speed Demon

I've never been in LA before.

Okay. Technically, I was there once before.
But I never left the airport.
So it wasn't like I was really there right?
Right.

In any case.
My family and I needed to spend the night in LA before we headed down the coast on a cruise.
(Yay cruises)
And it had been arranged that a shuttle driver would pick us up, drop us off at the hotel.

Usually you don't think much about shuttle drivers.
They take people from point a to point b.
And do it without too much drama.
Being safe is a priority to them.
Because if they crash their car/bus and their customers get hurt...
Well no more shuttle business really.

So I wasn't thinking much when our shuttle driver pulled up at the airport.
I was a bit more distracted with all the honking going on around me.
O.o
Cars would honk for a variety reasons there. So. Weird.

In any case, all of us pile into the passenger van. (you know those 12 seater vans. only this one had one seat taken out to fit all our luggage)

And the driver takes off.

And I mean.
Takes.
Off.

O.O
Zooom!
He effortlessly pulled into traffic leaving the airport.
Took us all the way over to the left lane, speeding up as he did so.
Then in the same maneuver at full speed. Took us all the way back over to the right lane to take an exit.
To go back to the left lane.

()_()
Words can't describe how crazy that guy was.
Weaving in and out of traffic at full speed.
Coming so close to the bumpers of other cars that there was probably only 4 inches between us and them.

Seriously, I would not have been surprised to have died on that car ride.
Because honestly.
I felt like we'd just been pulled into a heist movie. Running from the coppers that sort of thing.

With all the crazy weaving.
crazy almost crashes.
Speeding like mad.
All the while hardly glancing at the road as he chatted with my dad in the passenger seat.
Commenting that the traffic was rather light.
Light being nearly my version of rush hour back home.

lol.
I think we were all glad to get to the hotel in one piece without a scratched fender or anything.
Definitely a memory none of us will forget anytime soon.
It's not often you're pulled into a heist movie after all. ;) lol

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

April 2008 General Conference -Priesthood Session

Quentin L. Cook -Give Heed unto the Prophets' Words

• Living the Word of Wisdom today will free you from some of the most serious dangers you can face in this life.
• "Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."

H. David Burton -And Who Is My Neighbor?

• "I called our labor the 'rescue of the innocent.'"
• May we press forward to lighten the load of neighbors, encourage and assist the downtrodden, open our purses to assist the poor, and extend our helping hands.

Dean R. Burgess -Do You Know Who You Are?

• You are literally a son of God, "spiritually begotten in the premortal life. As His child, you can be assured that you have divine, eternal potential and that [your Heavenly Father] will help you in your sincere efforts to reach that potential."
• You are important to a loving Father in Heaven!
• Allow others to know who you are by the way you live the standards.

John M. Madsen -A 12-Year-Old Deacon

• "Our young people ... are the nobility of heaven, a choice and chosen generation who have a divine destiny. Their spirits have been reserved to come forth in this day when the gospel is on the earth, and when the Lord needs valiant servants to carry on his great latter-day work."
• "We are rearing a royal generation ... who have special things to do."

Dieter F. Uchtdorf -A Matter of a Few Degrees

• Failure to hold fast to the counsel of the prophet just a little longer, may seem minor. But even small errors over time can make a dramatic difference in our lives.
• No one wants his life to end in tragedy. But all too often ... we set out on what we hope will be an exciting journey only to realize too late that an error of a few degrees has set us on a course for spiritual disaster.
• The longer we delay corrective action, the larger the needed changes become, and the longer it takes to get back on the correct course--even to the point where a disaster might be looming.
• Minor decisions can lead to major consequences.
• "It is not meet that I should command in all things," saith the Lord. "Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves.
• Remember: the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.
• No matter how terribly off course you are, no matter how far you have strayed, the way back is certain and clear.

Henry B. Eyring -Faith and the Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood

• "Therefore, go ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature."

Thomas S. Monson -Examples of Righteousness

• We are surrounded by so much that is designed to divert our attention from those things which are virtuous and good and to tempt us with that which would cause us to be unworthy to exercise the priesthood we bear. I speak not just to the young men of the Aaronic Priesthood but to those of all ages. Temptations come in various forms throughout our lives.
• Brethren, are we qualified at all times to perform the sacred duties associated with the priesthood we bear?
• My young friends, be strong.
• If your so-called friends urge you to do anything you know to be wrong, you be the one to make a stand for right, even if you stand alone. Have the moral courage to be a light for others to follow. There is no friendship more valuable than your own clear conscience, your own moral cleanliness--and what a glorious feeling it is to know that you stand in your appointed place clean and with the confidence that you are worthy to do so.
• "Nothing will bring greater joy and success than to live according to the teachings of the gospel. Be an example; be an influence for good. ..."
• Always remember that people are looking to you for leadership and you are influencing the lives of individuals either for good or for bad, which influence will be felt for generations to come.
• "We should never permit ourselves to do anything that we are not willing to see our children do. We should set them an example that we wish them to imitate."
• "It doesn't matter what happens to us in this life as long as we have the gospel of Jesus Christ and live it.

Until you next see these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Made by Another

I had the weirdest experience last night.

In that one of my friends made me Tacozanga.

Totally weird.
As it's a dish I created and a recipe I made.
And before last night.
I'd been the only one to make it.

Last night though, my friend decided to make it and invited me over.

lol.
I didn't know what to expect.
I mean...this is my dish....
And just the thought of it still throws me for a loop.
Like I couldn't believe that anyone else would ever make it. lol.

But make it they did.
And it was delicious. ^^
Of course, like every recipe, there were slight variations on how it was made.
Still. It was good. ^^

Weird to have not made it.
But delicious to eat. :D
So glad I was able to have some Tacozanga again as I've been hankering for it for a while now. ^^

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Note: I will be on Vacation for the next week, so the blog won't be updated while I'm gone. Have fun all! :)

Are You There?

Experience teaches us that suffering is one of life's experiences that will come without seeking it.
If I may use a personal example:

Some years ago when our first son was about a year old, I was the source of some seemingly unnecessary suffering.
We were attending college, and one evening I had been playing with my boy on the floor.
I left the room to study, and as I closed the door behind me he apparently reached for me, raising his hand up behind his head, and his finger went in the hinged side of the door.
When I closed the door he suffered a rather severe injury to his finger.

We rushed him to the emergency room at the hospital, he was given a local anesthetic, and a doctor came in; assured us that it could be repaired.
Almost paradoxically, at that point the only thing my one-year-old wanted was to be held by his dad.
As long as he could see me he resisted an efforts to bind him for the delicate surgery.
When I left the room he calmed down, and the doctor was able to proceed.

During the process I was anxious and would draw close to the open door and look around the corner to see how things were proceeding.
Perhaps by some unseen sense, as I would peek noiselessly around the corner, which was located behind him and to the side, his head would come up and he would strain to see if I was there.

On one of those occasions, as I saw him with his arm pinned out from his side--his head arched, searching for his father--the thought came to my mind of another Son, His arms stretched out, nailed to a cross, searching for His Father, and to my mind came the words, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"
What was a very traumatic moment in my life suddenly became very sacred.

-Keith R. Edwards -That They Might Know Thee -October 2006 General Conference

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Smell TakeOver

Apparently the saga with recovering from being sick continues.
With an odd twist of events.

Its not surprising that I haven't really been able to smell since I got sick.
I mean a stuffed up/runny nose would make it difficult to get any strong scents.

Today though, it seems, that my nose has finally cleared up.

Because all of a sudden.
Scents were assaulting me from every direction.

And considering that I work in a pet store.

That's a lot of scents.

Enough to be overwhelming.
Enough to make me gag.
Just because I'm no longer used to smelling them I'm suppose.

Being no longer stuffed up. All the scents had free reign upon me.

I mean, I walked down one of the aisles of dog food that we had.
And I could actually smell the dog food!

It's not a scent that easily permeates through the bags.
Yet, I had it wafting all around me.

So.
Very.
Crazy.

Hopefully tomorrow's day of work is less overwhelming in the scents.
So I find it easier to get the tasks done without getting distracted. :)

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

When to Nap?

I think there are days when I overthink and tire myself out.
Because there will be days at work.
Like today.
Where I'm active. I'm busy. Doing all my work tasks, as well as thinking about story related ideas. (because that's what you do when you're a writer.)

And it's like "Yah! I'm going to do all these things once I get off work. Do all these tasks, write down these ideas!"
And like in the last hour before I get off.
I suddenly hit a wall.
Where all I can think is:
Sleeeeeeeepppppppp

Which can make it difficult to do the tasks I thought to do when I got off work.
Which I did manage to accomplish.
Because all I can think of is my bed and how warm and comfortable it is. lol.

So I wonder...
If I just over worked myself. Over thought myself.

And its one of those things...
Where I'm walking on the fence.
Because when I get into those "you need to get some sleep" modes.
I could push through it and be fine.
Or I could sleep and be fine.
Or I could push through it and end up with a headache.
Or I could sleep and end up with a headache.

And I never know what its going to be.
Because honestly..... I just like to surprise myself. lol.

Today was one of those days where I finished my tasks.
And then crashed for a bit.
To wake up feeling fine.

Still...
I should probably get onto some sort of schedule or thinking mode.
Where I don't end up tired after work. lol.

I mean, last week was unusual because I was sick, so all I basically did last week was sleep once I got off work. I didn't have the energy to do more.
So perhaps I'm still coming off of that.

Yah. ;) We'll go with that.
Still recovering from being sick.
So its better to sleep for now.
So I can concentrate on continuing to get better. :)

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

April 2008 General Conference -Saturday Afternoon

Robert W. Cantewell -Church Auditing Department Report, 2007

F. Michael Watson -Statistical Report, 2007

• Total Church Membership -13,193,999
• Full-Time Missionaries -52,686
• Members Who Have Passed Away since Last April -Gordon B. Hinckley, James E. Faust

Dallin H. Oaks -Testimony

• A testimony of the gospel is not a travelogue, a health log, or an expression of love for family members. It is not a sermon. President Kimball taught that the moment we begin preaching to others, our testimony is ended.
• The idea that all important knowledge is based on scientific evidence is simply untrue.
• We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it. Someone even suggested that some testimonies are better gained on the feet bearing them than on the knees praying for them.
• Anyone can disagree with our personal testimony, but no one can refute it.
• In all of our testifying we must avoid arrogance and pride.

Robert D. Hales -Gaining a Testimony of God the Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost

• It is very enlightening and touching to me to consider how Jesus talks to His Father. In His great Intercessory Prayer, which is found in the Bible I the book of John, it is unmistakably clear that Jesus acknowledges He is the Son. Listen to His words as He reports the obedient completion of His earthly mission to His Father in Heaven: "I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. ... For I have given unto them [the disciples] the words which thou gavest me ..., and they have believed that thou didst send me. ... As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. ... And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one."
• "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil."

Gerald N. Lund -Opening Our Hearts

• The Spirit almost always speaks to our minds and to our hearts rather than to our ears.
• "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear."
• "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart."
• The heart is a tender place. It is sensitive to many influences both positive and negative. It can be hurt by others. It can be deadened by sin. It can be softened by love. Early in our lives, we learn to guard our hearts. It is like we erect a fence around our hearts with a gate in it. No one can enter that gate unless we allow him or her to.
• In some cases the fence we erect around our hearts could be likened to a small picket fence with a Welcome sign on the gate. Other hearts have been so hurt or so deadened by sin that they have an eight-foot chain-link fence topped with razor wire around them. The gate is padlocked and has a large No Trespassing sign on it.
• Let us apply the idea of a gateway to the heart to receiving personal revelation. Nephi taught, "When a man speaketh by the power of the Holy Ghost the power of the Holy Ghost carried it unto the hearts of the children of men." Elder David A. Bednar noted the use of the word unto: "Please notice how the power of the Spirit carries the message unto but now necessarily into the heart. ... Ultimately, ... the content of a message and the witness of the Holy Ghost penetrate into the heart only if a receiver allows them to enter."
• Why just untothe heart? Individual agency is so sacred that Heavenly Father will never force the human heart, even with all His infinite power. Man may try to do so, but God does not. To put it another way, God allows us to be the guardians, or the gatekeepers, of our own hearts. We must, of our own free will, open our hearts to the Spirit, for He will not force Himself upon us.
• Pride is a natural consequence of setting our hearts on the things of the world. Pride quickly desensitizes our hearts to spiritual promptings.

Carlos H. Amado -Service, a Divine Quality

• HIs doctrine is one of love, forgiveness, and mercy. It is the way to live in peace and harmony among men and the way to return to live with God.
• Christ cannot help us if we do not trust Him.
• The more we give of ourselves, the more our capacity to serve, understand, and love will grow.

William R. Walker -Three Presiding High Priests

• "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.
• "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
• Every one of us who serve in presidencies anywhere in the Church should look to the First Presidency as our pattern and the example that we seek to follow as we carry out our stewardships. We should strive to be like them and to work together in love and harmony as they do.
• We work together. ... You can't be a one-man operation in a presidency. Counselors--what a wonderful thing are counselors. They save you from doing the wrong things, they help you to do the right things.

Richard G. Scott -To Heal the Shattering Consequences of Abuse

• The rising tide of this vicious, abominable sin may not have touched your life personally. Yet it is pervasive enough in the world that it may have touched someone you love.
• Healing comes through the unwavering love of Heavenly Father for each of His children.
• The power of healing is inherent in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
• Do not let Satan convince you that you are beyond help.
• Satan uses your abuse to undermine your self-confidence, destroy trust in authority, create fear, and generate feelings of despair. Abuse can damage your ability to form healthy human relationships. You must have faith that all of these negative consequences can be resolved; otherwise they will keep you from full recovery. While these outcomes have powerful influence in your life, they do not define the real you.
• As impossible as it may seem to you now, in time the healing you can receive from the Savior will allow you to truly forgive the abuser and even have feelings of sorrow for him or her. When you can forgive the offense, you will be relieved of the pain and heartache that Satan wants in your life by encouraging you to hate the abuser. As a result, you will enjoy greater peace. While an important part of healing, if the thought of forgiveness causes you yet more pain, set that step aside until you have more experience with the Savior's healing power in your own life.
• Now, to the perpetrator who has shattered the life of another by abuse: Recognize that you need help with your addiction or it will destroy you. You will not overcome it by yourself. You likely need specialized professional help. I plead with you to seek to be rescued now. You likely have deceived yourself in the false, temporary security that you have successfully hidden your transgression from the civil or Church authorities. But know that the Lord Jesus Christ is completely aware of your sins. He has warned: "Whoso shall offend one of these little ones ... , it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." Know that even without action by a victim, your act of abuse will be publicly known, for Satan will expose you, then abandon you.

L. Tom Perry -The Gospel of Jesus Christ

• It is important to begin with the end in mind.
• "Baptism is twofold, and has a double mission to perform. It not only cleanses--it [illuminates] the soul, making manifest the things of God, past, present, future, and imparting a sure testimony of the Truth. The soul, cleansed of sin, is in a condition to enjoy the abiding influence of the Holy Ghost, which 'dwelleth not in unclean tabernacles.' Water baptism begins the work of purification and enlightenment. Spirit baptism completes it."
• Enduring to the end is definitely not a do-it-yourself project.
• The gospel takes deeper root in those who share it frequently.

Until you next read these words;

I'll be watching the leaves.

Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Homebaked Love

There's nothing quite like Grandma's cookies.
Whether its love,
Special ingredients.
Or just a really good time.

They always seem to taste better than other cookies made elsewhere.
Perhaps there is some magic to Grandma's house.
That enhances the flavor of everything made there. :)

In case you couldn't tell. :) lol
I got to make cookies with my Grandma yesterday.

Its been forever since me and my siblings have been able to do so.
Years.
Because we're all all over the place, busy with work, have different schedules.
So it makes it hard to coordinate us all for a day to be able to take the time to make cookies.

It has been a Christmas Tradition to make cookies with Grandma before Christmas.
We didn't manage to do it this year.
But we got a 'head start' this year. Doing them the first weekend of the year, we're totally on track lol.

We gathered together.
And using Great Great Grandmother recipes.
We made Sugar Cookies and Chocolate Chip Cookies.
^^ So. Tasty.
Honestly I could have been fine just making the dough so I could eat just that. ^^

But its also fun to cut out the cookies into different shapes as well. Rolling out the dough into a flat plank to use the cookie cutters on. ^^

So weird that every recipe uses Vanilla though. O.o Musta been a trend back when the world was black and white. ;)

But making, baking, decorating all those cookies was a blast. ^^
I had a great time making them with Grandma and spending some quality time with her. :)

And judging by how my roommates have downed them.
The cookies are delicious. lol. ^^

Hopefully we'll be able to do it again soon. ^^

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

Honoring the Sacrament

Not long ago I received a letter concerning a choice young deacon, Isaac Reiter, and the deacons, teachers, and priests who served, lifted, and blessed his life and their own lives.

Isaac fought cancer from the time he was seven months old until his death at age 13.
When he and his family moved to a home near a hospital so that Isaac could receive proper medical attention, the Aaronic Priesthood members in the nearby ward were asked to provide the sacrament to them each Sunday.
This weekly ordinance became a favorite of the Aaronic Priesthood holders who participated. Along with their leaders and Isaac's family, they would gather around Isaac's hospital bed, sing hymns, and share testimonies.
Then the sacrament would be blessed.
Isaac always insisted that, as a deacon, he pass the sacrament to his family and to those who had brought it.
As he lay in his bed, he gathered the strength to hold a plate of either the blessed bread or water.
All present would come to Isaac and partake of the sacrament from the plate.
Nurses and other medical staff soon began to participate in the meeting as they realized that Isaac was close to his Heavenly Father and always honored Him.
Though weak and in pain, Isaac always held himself with the honor of someone holding a royal priesthood.

Isaac was a great example to the young men in the ward.
They saw his desire to fulfill his duties, even on his deathbed, and they realized that those duties were really privileges.
They began showing up earlier in order to prepare the sacrament and to be in their seats on time.
There was more reverence.

Isaac Reiter became a living sermon concerning honoring the priesthood.
At his funeral, it was said that throughout his life he had one foot in heaven.
No doubt he continues to magnify his duties and assist in the work beyond the veil.

-Thomas S. Monson -Our Sacred Priesthood Trust -April 2006 General Conference

Until you next read these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi

How to Start the Year

There I was,
In the final minutes of 2015.
My roomies were in one of the bedrooms.
Chatting away.
And I thought that perhaps they might come out for the New Year.
They did not.

To my surprise just like 10 minutes before Midnight.
They came out.
Only to say they were heading to bed.
()_()
There's like 10 minutes left in 2015 and you want to go to bed!
Why sleep?
You can sleep in 10 minutes!
Come, ring in the new year!

But no, tired they were. Exhausted.
So before midnight.
They shut themselves in their rooms.
Called it a night.
And that was the last I saw of them in 2015.

All went silent.
And since I was the only one in the apt still 'awake.'
>.>
<.<
I'd decided to go for the dramatic.

Because I was sick, I'd stayed home for New Years Eve.
Didn't have the energy to go anywhere, and even if I did....
I had to work this morning.
So it wasn't like I could stay up all night anyways.

But that didn't mean I couldn't have my own meaningful start to 2016.

So.
I turned off all the lights.
Except for the single string of Christmas lights over our balcony window and the small tree next to it.
As the seconds ticked down.
I stepped into the cool night air.
Playing "At the Beginning" from Anastasia on my Ipod as midnight struck.
Sent a text to my family as I raised my homemade ceramic mug of Pineapple Soda into the air.
And toasted to the New Year in the quiet darkness of my apartment complex.
While off in the distance, fireworks lit up the sky.
Their delayed bangs echoing through the valley.

^^
It was a wonderful start to 2016.
I can only hope that each day is fantastic in its own way this year. ^^
Off to new Adventures!!

Until you next see these words;
I'll be watching the leaves.
Enjoy the day!

-Sarnic Dirchi