New Year, New Me, New Goal: Hair Donation

A week ago my sister Melina put my hair into braids, grabbed a pair of scissors and started cutting my hair because before this new year I made a new goal and that was to donate my hair to a child who is diagnosed with cancer and living a life without hair, which is very hard because they're not able to brush their own hair, put them in ponytails or get them wet when they're swimming or taking a bath. It was hard for me to have my own hair cut but I was willing to do it because I've done it once before and I feel like a new me since this is a new year. And I was willing to help someone with their challenges. It was a good and generous thing to do and I felt blessed to do it. This is a new year with new challenges, new experiences and new inspirational things.

Beautiful to Him

I watched a video on youtube about recapturing beauty this evening and it made me remember that we are created beautiful in God's image and that we should love ourselves for who are regardless of the outside appearance of our bodies. I thought about Stephanie Nielson and what she had to go through after her tragic accident that took place 2 years ago. I could almost feel the pain that she had and I felt very sorry for her but there is one thing that she and I know, she is still the same person that she was before the accident and I know that everyone still loves her for the person that she is to them, including her family. And she is still beautiful.

"I am more than my body." -Stephanie Nielson

Then I listened to this song called "Beautiful to Him" which brings a very good message that everyone needs to hear because the Lord is talking to us as we listen for His voice that brings the love that we need to have in our lives. It brings comfort to me as I listen to it when I'm having a hard time with how I look. I know in my heart that my Heavenly Father loves me because I am His child. He is telling us to forget the negative comments in this world of destruction that have been said to us affecting our Hearts and He wants us to tell ourselves, "I am beautiful because Heavenly Father loves me."

To me, beauty is something to have in our lives because it doesn't just mean that we're beautiful on the outside, we are also beautiful on the inside because we are created with the hearts that God gave us. It's something to judge on someone in positive ways that God would do because there are people who judge our beauty wrong. No matter what we look like, we are always beautiful on the outside and inside of ourselves.

"It's not about your scars. It's all about your heart." -Mindy Gledhill 

Love for Basketball

Today was a better day than the day before yesterday and I have a good feeling that things will turn out great.

This afternoon I got home from school and got ready for a special time that I really love to do: basketball. My mom dropped me off at the Church today because the Youth are doing basketball for fun and it's a part of our stake. My interest for the sport came while I've been playing with the Young Women and it felt so Good to have that feeling inside my entire body, my heart, and my spirit.

I remember as a little girl I would watch my older sisters play basketball outside on the court of our old house when they were teenagers or at basketball games and I started to love the sport because of the movies I would love to watch about basketball such as "Space Jam" or "Double Teamed." And I decided to play basketball because it was my favorite sport ever as it always will be.

In this photo I'm in front of another player that has the number 11 on her shirt at a Church basketball game.

After we finished the series of Church basketball games we later got awards for doing such a GREAT job on doing our best and working hard together as a team. In the photo on the left, you'll see me in the blue shirt wearing an award around my neck. I felt so good getting my award because of the HARD work I've done. We did lose some games though and I did feel bad that we didn't win but I've learned that it was just a game, it doesn't matter whether you win or lose and all it matters is having fun with a positive attitude and doing your best.

Basketball may not be what I want to do for life but it's definitely something I want to do as an activity whether for mutual or anything that can be fun and make me happy and want to do it. It's one of my favorite sports and I will always do it whenever a friend or family member of mine asks me if I wanna shoot some hoops with them. It is a good sport for exercise and maybe I will continue to do it outside when it's not so cold at this time of season.

Back to School with New Semester Classes

At 5:45 a.m. yesterday my alarm clock woke me up because it was time to get ready for school. I was so tired I didn't wanna get up so I slept in for about five minutes but I shouldn't have because my mom had to drive me up to the bus stop. So I've learned my lesson on that one, "NEVER SLEEP IN FIVE MINUTES AFTER YOUR ALARM RINGS WHEN GETTING READY FOR SOMETHING IMPORTANT!!" I was able to make it on time though and I rode on the bus but I'm gonna remember next time not to sleep in late. And go to bed early.

A new day of a new semester with a couple new classes feels different and a little scary. Yesterday was okay but I felt that same feeling I had when I moved here from California: that scary, sad and uncomfortable feeling was in my heart but today was better and I think I will enjoy my new classes. It's HARD to go through CHANGES but it's sometimes good for us to have those things happen in our lives because they help us grow. Trust me, moving here wasn't easy but it was worth it. As I lived here while I had been facing that challenge my seed was growing with faith. And I've learned to rely on our Heavenly Father's understanding instead of my own when it comes to these kinds of challenges and I've learned to trust Him.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."

Proverbs 3: 5-6

A Day to Remember Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self evident: that all men are created equal.'

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free al last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last'!"

-Martin Luther King, Jr.

Martin Luther King Day came when the clock stroke midnight while we were sleeping. It is a day to remember the man who brought freedom to our nation and taught us that we're all created equal by God. If he hadn't stood up for what he believed in, we probably wouldn't have the freedom that we needed a long time ago. But gratefully one man who wasn't treated equal when he was growing up changed our hearts and made our eyes see clearly instead of blindly and we know what it means to have true freedom.

Today my mind woke me up because it was aware that I wake up early for school and it was thinking "Wake up! It's time to get ready for school. YOU DON'T WANNA BE LATE!!" And also my sister Melina was getting ready for work but then I went back to sleep 'cause my entire body was so tired and exhausted after going to bed late. Today will be a good day though 'cause it's a special day to remember when our freedom of equality was brought to this nation.

Snowy Sunday

Today is January 16, 2011 the beginning month of a new year. Everything outside is covered in crystal white snow, which makes this Sabbath Day a cold Sunday but it will be a good day though because it's a beautiful day.

For some of you who don't know me or may know me, my name is Micaela Jones, the daughter of Michelle, who is also a blogger and the main author of our family blog. I'm 17 years old and the youngest in the family with fun and beautiful older sisters and strong loving parents.

I am excited about this beautiful snowy day but I am waiting for Spring to come with the cool moist weather that I love and enjoy feeling. I am patient though and I will continue to be patient even though it can be hard sometimes.