The Ultimate Battle

What is a battle:
World War II?
The decision of what to wear in the morning?
The Avengers?

One battle that I was thinking about today is the battle between FUN VS. HAPPINESS.
Now, you may be asking why is this a battle but I promise it is! Just stick with me for a few seconds.

What is fun:
Playing sports?
Staying out all night with your friends doing crazy things and breaking rule #3?
A good shopping spree?

For most people, especially young adults, living the "fun life" includes some sort of alcohol, drugs, and immorality. Most college students would look at the life I am living at college and see it as dull or boring. "WHERE IS THE FUN?" they might ask.

And this is where the battle comes in...

I am not here to live the "fun" life. But instead to find the HAPPY LIFE! I am not like most college students. I do not find happiness in the "fun" that most of the world enjoys. I have come to realize over a lifetime, and particularly the past two years that in reality I do not want to live the "fun life," I want to find and live the "happy life."

So what is the happy life:
For me, happiness comes as I build relationships with my family and those that I care about.
Happiness is feeling pain and heartache so that I can experience joy!
Happiness is choosing to follow Christ knowing that his path will always bring me to happiness.

While partying with friends right now might be "fun," in the long run, I want HAPPINESS and that happiness will only be found as I draw closer to my Father in Heaven.

Saddle Up Anyway

What is the meaning behind the word "courage?" This is a question that has been on my mind a lot as of late.
Is courage being the hero that saves a cat from a tree?
Is courage mustering up the nerve to raise your hand in class and ask a question?
Is courage the ability to think on your own and formulate your own ideas?
Is courage sharing a smile with the shy kid at school?
Is courage talking to your crush in the hallway?
Is courage standing up for what you believe in even if you are the only one?

Maybe yes, possibly no...

As I have pondered on the thought of courage, I have been constantly taken back to one of my all-time favorite quotes.

John Wayne is one of my favorites and I love the image this quote paints in my mind. I remember back in 8th grade there was a day that I had been at the horse arena practicing barrels for an upcoming show. At one particular point in practice, my horse got spooked and I ended up on the ground. Covered in dirt and trying to figure out if I should cry because I was hurt or because I had been scared to death, I heard one of my close friends say to me as she rode by, "Nine more times and you'll be a true cowgirl!" At that moment, the last thing I wanted to do was get back on this horse. However, I couldn't just wimp out because of a simple little fall to the ground. So setting the immense amount of fear that had now entered my body, I decided to "saddle up anyway." 

Now, I probably did not ever become a "true cowgirl," but the lesson I learned from that day was in a moment when it would be much easier to take the comfortable road out of a daunting situation, choosing the hard path lead me to a much better end point. Courage, for me, was this. Courage to choose the more difficult choice. 

As I look at what courage is for me today, I have many more questions and many more provoking thoughts. 

Can I have courage to be humble? 

Can I have courage to be kind? 

Can I have courage to learn? 

Can I have courage to accept? 

Can I have courage to love? 

Can I have courage to be considerate?

Can I have courage to teach? 

The answer here is an obvious "YES" but it will be a long and difficult road. Worth it? Most definitely!

If I follow John Wayne's advice and just "saddle up anyway!"