Tuesday Devotional with President Monson

On Tuesday, President Monson was our Campus Devotional speaker. It was so great to again hear from our beloved prophet and to simply be in his and Elder Nelson's presence. President Monson spoke about being an example of the believers and continuing to grow our testimonies. My whole day (week, year) was lifted to a new level of spirituality and I was indescribably happy the whole day. I love President Monson!

Can you spot Cherise in this picture? (ps--Look for my rainboots--it rain/snowed on Tuesday)

General Conference October 2011

This last October General Conference was a very unique experience for me. I told my roommates that all I wanted for my birthday was to spend the day at Temple Square and attend conference in the Conference Center. I love even just being at Temple Square during General Conference weekend and feeling the air of excitement about hearing the words of the prophets.

So, bright and early (or should I say dark and early?) Saturday morning, Sharon, Lacie, Rebekah and I headed off to Salt Lake. Our arrival was greeted my a Church photographer, who had fun taking pictures of us by the temple. Then we spent a little time exploring the Visitors' Centers before enjoying the first session in the Tabernacle. I always enjoy watching Conference in the Tabernacle, where the former prophets spoke and feel their testimonies as I do.

The best part of Conference was arguably the announcement that the Provo Tabernacle, which was severely damaged by fire last winter will be fully restored--as a temple!! When President Monson gave the news, me and Beka just sat there bawling. We had been saying that Provo needed another temple for as long as we could remember, and we love the tabernacle, so it was the perfect solution. In fact, the week before it burned down we had attended an organ recital there.

Beka had an extra ticket for the afternoon session in the Conference Center, so I joined her there and Sharon and Lacie got in standby.

We spent the rest of the day enjoying the sites at Temple Square. We visited the Museum of Church History and the Beehive House and ended our trip with dinner at the Lion House (the mint brownies were to die for!)

The interesting thing this time around was that no message in particular stuck out to me. Rather, I simply gained a testimony that the prophets and apostles are truly the servants of God. I hesitate to call them "regular men," but they are just "regular men" like you and me. However, they are endowed with the Spirit of God and are called to bear witness of His divinity. President Monson is a true prophet called to lead and guide us through our struggles through mortality. The apostles carry similar roles and will never lead us astray. I know this with all my heart and embrace their inspired messages and testimonies.

Packing Peanuts

One Monday evening, the roommates of Goldstone 202 headed out to FHE at the a bishopric members house in Mapleton. After GPS malfunctions and multiple navigation errors, they found themselves back in Provo. They asked themselves, "Well, what should we do tonight since we didn't go to family home evening?" The answer came in the form of a most brilliant idea.

They would turn the "Surf Shack"into...

The "Love Shack"

Little did they know, however, that by changing four simple letters they would start a war. One week later, the roommates heard a scream as Lacie opened the door to leave for class. The boys had somehow rigged a light switch to turn on a leaf blower when the front door was opened and a slurry of packing peanuts was quickly filling the living room. On the door was left this note, "Compliments of your friendly neighborhood Surf Shack."

And that is how it all began...

Where Are You, Christmas?

So, I have decided that it is time for it to be Christmas. It's already starting to get cold, and it could easily be snowing in a month, so it should be Christmastime, right? Also, listening to Christmas music has been the only way that I have kept my head lately. It can be both calming or "joyful and triumphant," depending on what I need it to be at the moment. I always tell my friends not to be alarmed it I start singing a rousing chorus of "Hark the Herald Angels Sing," or "Joy to the World," but what's better than rejoicing at our Lord's birth? All I need now is Lari's countdown...

The Dean's List

Usually when I get letters from BYU, they say that I owe money or that I need to provide proof of health insurance. This time though, it was a pleasant surprise!

"Dear Cherise,

Congratulations on your excellent performance during Summer 2011. Your excellent grade point average places you on the Dean's List. Only the top five percent of students in the College receive this honor each semester.

Best wishes in your future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Rodney J. Brown, Dean"