Time, Sanity, and Perfection

This weekend marks the end of Week 9 in my semester. I have seven more weeks, so I'm just over half done and I'm not sure how I'm going to make it (successfully). My goal is to get Bs (or higher) in all my classes (I really need to raise my GPA). But I'm starting to slip behind and skip classes because I feel like I can't handle the increasing load (and backlog). At least once a week I find myself reminding myself that "this is why I don't take twelve units a semester!" But I'm moving forward and I am still aiming for perfection...

Actually, I'm aiming a little lower than perfection, because I've learned that at some point I just have to accept my good, but not perfect work and move on. Its a time management thing. And a sanity thing.

Good Things happen on Fridays

I felt pretty stressed today. But I got quite a few things done, which made me feel good. Here are a few of the highlights from today:

1. Reading my scriptures first thing!
   
2. D&D's netbook (which they kindly let me borrow for the semester)
3. Turning in my graduation application (on time!) and being allowed to apply for Spring 2010 graduation instead of having to wait for Fall 2010.
4. Doing laundry (um. I love clean clothes. and Mother's washer and dryer are wonderful)
5. Turning in an assignment a week early!! (Ok, so I'm also turning in another assignment a week late, but still!)
6. Making flashcards. (I think I learn more by making the flashcards than I do from listening to lectures and reading textbooks.)
   

Thoughts on Forgiveness

In July I posted about a method I use to study the scriptures. I finished reading all of the scripture references under Forgiveness on my Topical Guide sheet in mid-September. I had a lot of notes of thoughts, impressions, and scriptures that struck me as I was reading. I tentatively allocated ten minutes of my scripture study time to type up these notes. I'm almost done transcribing my notes and am excited to compile everything into the themes and answers to questions I started to notice as I read.

Here is something I rediscovered as I was typing up my notes:

I read 1 Nephi 7:21 in which Nephi forgives his brothers for trying to kill him:

And it came to pass that I did frankly forgive them all that they had done, and I did exhort them that they would pray unto the Lord their God for forgiveness. And it came to pass that they did so. And after they had done praying unto the Lord we did again travel on our journey towards the tent of our father.

Pondering on the phrase "I did frankly forgive them" reminded me of a story I heard when I was living in Humboldt. I really looked up to the older girls at church (I was 19, they were 23-ish) and one day Megan Schlutsmeyer told about an experience she had on her mission. She hurt her companion's feelings (not intentionally) and felt she needed forgiveness. Upon being told "it's okay" she insisted that it wasn't. The details of the story are all very fuzzy (it's been ten years...) but the concept of forgiveness she illustrated with her experience has stuck with me ever since.

Saying "it's okay" is like sweeping dust under the carpet. Forgiving someone is like putting Neosporin and a Bandaid on a cut. You can leave a cut alone and it might heal eventually, but if you tend it properly it will heal faster and cleaner.

When it's not okay, frankly forgive.

Forgiveness, like faith, is a choice*.

The more I write, the more ideas I have. I expect myself to write about the larger themes I've noticed in the scriptures. Maybe I will learn more, or evaluate what I think compared to what the scriptures say as I write.

*(Sometimes a hard choice, or one that needs to be made every two minutes.)

Megan - if I've got the details of the story wrong (or spelled your name wrong) please let me know! ♥

Calming down.

Just a quick update to let you know that I have calmed down considerably since I wrote my rant about having to take an Anthropology 101 class. I'm attending class about once weekly and working on crochet projects in the back of the classroom.

I haven't talked to anyone in the administration yet... I feel so overwhelmed with getting homework assignments in on time that I don't feel like going from office to office to track down the right person to talk to. I have talked to my professor a little bit and that has helped too.

I grudgingly admit that this exposure to academic anthropology terms and concepts has enriched my understanding of human geography (in the sense that I can now identify anthropological concepts in geography discussions).