miss emma.

(i didn't take my camera with me today because i was in such a hasty rush, so i decided to share this one from when our shakespeare class visited the globe. mainly because i think my boots are really cute though.)

this morning at 730 am, the phone in our dorm rang, and we then were relayed the message that we had been assigned to speak in church at 9 am. yes, this is a true story. don't mind that church is an hour away and we were literally in bed when we received this news. good thing that sacrament meeting is the last meeting of the block. we skipped relief society and sunday school to write our talks, got ready quick, and got on the train for church. unfortunately, we were late even to sacrament meeting and walked in to the chapel during the first verse of the sacrament hymn. we hurried onto the stand, a little bit embarrassed, but not really because that's what they get for assigning us to speak a hour and a half before church. 

i was assigned to speak on hope, or a perfect brightness of hope. i am still trying to find the right attitude about this experience, because i want to say that it was a good opportunity, but i don't think it was yet. i would have loved to speak when i had honest time to prepare and devote myself into what i was going to say, but i didn't have that luxury. however, i did learn that speaking in church isn't about the fancy doctrines that we sometimes get caught up in, it's more about having the spirit. as long as you have the spirit, you will be successful in speaking.

after church we sped home and went straight to the kitchen where we chowed down hard core on left over brazilian lasagna. the good thing about having church so early is that we are the first group home, so we get first picks on food. after lasagna, i had cookies with nutella and a huge glass of water and then i immediately trudged up the stairs and collapsed into bed. i love how as soon as the girls get home, we all immediately close the blinds and pass out until dinner. byu london center agenda for sundays = eat. church. eat. sleep. eat. sleep. 

after dinner, we had president chiddock come and give us a fireside. president chiddock is the cutest little old english man from the ward i serve in. he spoke on his experienced in world war II in london, when he was a child. i am so grateful for my country. i love being in london and experiencing this wonderful place, but i really really do love my country.

since it's the beginning of the week, i am all about setting goals. i will not be spending money on lunch, and i will seriously try to find the motivation to run in hyde park in the mornings. i've heard that running in hyde park is so beautiful, but it is about 35 degrees outside, and i don't do well in the cold. so wish me luck on that. i've also been inspired to start a real journal. a lot of the girls here are such inspirations to me. a bunch of them keep personal journals with them all the time, so that in small quiet moments they can take it out and record what they're seeing or feeling, even if they are on the go. so tomorrow i might make that purchase. 

i'm all about writing about my life. hence the blog. but what can i say, it's a beautiful thing, this life i live.