Called To Serve

I've been thinking a lot about what I want to post about. There's been a lot on my mind lately: sharing the gospel, patience, Utah, music, food, family.

You know what! I've decided: I'm dedicating this post to missionaries.

In fact, I'm writing this post as a break from writing my missionary friends. I forgot how many guys I knew that are on their missions! I am so blessed to know so many people dedicating two years of their life to share the gospel. 

And now, I know one girl that is dedicating 18 months to serving the Lord and sharing the gospel. She is someone that exudes confidence. Her smile is contagious. But, not in a sickly way. In a welcoming way. Her face seems to light up every time she smiles. And her laugh! Her laugh's best friend is my own laughter! 

She is someone that is understanding of others, even if they are not conventional. She makes her path in unknown territory with a fierce sense of faith that everything will work out. She is my sister, Chantelle Mary Rovelsky. The Lord has prepared her to serve in the Seoul Korea mission. I know that the Lord has prepared people there ready to hear the gospel from my sister. 

I can honestly say I never imagined my sister serving in Asia. I always thought like South America or Europe! 

If Chantelle is reading this, I do have to apologize for the mood I was in when she received her call. My dad unexpectedly woke me up for the second time that day from peaceful slumber. I was not in a very patient or social mood. However, I am proud of her. I am proud that I have a sister with a firm testimony of the church. We don't agree on all things, but we can agree that this is the true church. 

I'm trying to think of ways she's been prepared to serve in Seoul, Korea.

SLC

1) Living in a city. Seoul is "a megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is one of the largest and most densely populated cities in the world" according to Wikipedia. She loves living in the city of Salt Lake. 

Seoul

2) She's worked at Apple, one of the leading companies in technology. And "Seoul has a highly technologically advanced infrastructure."

3) She grew up in the humid state of Ohio. And Seoul's "summers are generally hot and humid."

4) She's mastered the public transportation system in SLC/Provo. And "Seoul features one of the world's most advanced transportation infrastructures that is constantly under expansion."

5) She's lived with mountains surrounding the city. And Seoul is a city surrounded by mountains! 

Yeah, so there's probably more but how cool is that?! I'm super excited to hear her experiences with the language, the culture, the people, the food, and the missionary work. She'll be great. 

I know that we all can be missionaries in our wards. I'm striving to be a better example of this by working with the less active, the investigators, and future investigators! Please pray for my friend Randy! Forget yourself and go to work. 

To Every Thing There Is A Season

Alright I've been thinking about what I should blog about next (since Monique has banned me from talking about food).

Drum roll please. The ESPYS?! As a very uninformed sports person, I really had no idea what the ESPYS were. However, working at a sports bar and grill kind of gives me the sports knowledge I never gained as a child (my dad is the crossword-puzzle-computer-programming-type of guy; not a bad thing). What I got out of the ESPYS is an award show where every hot guy in the world is invited to attend. Throw in a couple girls too, I guess. But, let's focus on the guys please.

Ryan Reynolds

There I am busing my tables, and I see this beauty on the TV. I kind of gasped a little bit. And maybe started drooling (ha, just kidding). Ryan Reynolds is my celebrity crush because he's a great comedian/actor. The humor he adds to his parts is great! Also, he says he runs! Like 5 miles a day to train for a marathon. Funny and a runner? My type of guy! Plus, he's attractive (that's bonus).

Justin Bieber

Okay I don't know why he was there. Not a fan. And the EARRINGS?!

Justin Timberlake

Kay, childhood crush. If you listened to *NSYNC when you were little, you probably had a crush on this guy. And, of what I've seen on TV, I like his fun, quirky personality.

Jimmer Fredette

Holy Smokes. There's a BYU Student. A Mormon. With a bunch of celebrities being recognized as the Best Male College Athlete. And looking mighty fine while doing it. Rachel and Audrey (if you're reading), this totally made me think of you guys. How hot does he look?!

Now, I'm realizing I have a thing for guys in gray suits. Note to self.

Ready for this transition? Seeing guys like this makes me want to become a better "athlete." Not that I'm like an official athlete, but I'd like to think I have some skills in running, swimming, and snowboarding. And big news! I got a gym pass at the Natatorium (basically the coolest gym ever!).

For $50 a month, I can go to any workout class, lift weights, run on a treadmill or on a track, GO SWIMMING, etc. I feel like a kid at a playground every time I go. I tried a Zumba class yesterday! Today I'm planning on going to Zumba and Kickboxing! I also went swimming yesterday, and a man I was sharing the lane with said I am a great swimmer. I told him my friend (Leisy!) just taught me how to this past winter. He was shocked because he thought I was one of those lettered-in-high-school swimmers! I was so flattered!

I am so glad I got a pass here because I have been running 5 days a week the whole summer. I was in a "rut" and didn't know what to do to get out. I prayed about it, and I genuinely believe that this is the answer to my prayer.

So, I'd like to end with the thought that Heavenly Father cares about our interests. He knows I love to run and workout, but that I needed a change. And I can, in turn, show my gratitude by keeping my body healthy and strong. He loves me enough to listen and answer my prayers. He loves me enough to send His son, Jesus Christ, to save me from sin. There is so much to rejoice in!

Ecclesiastes 3

1To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

 2A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 3A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

 4A time to weep, and a time to ^alaugh; a time to ^bmourn, and a time to dance;

 5A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

 6A time to ^aget, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;

 7A time to ^arend, and a time to sew; a time to keep ^bsilence, and a time to speak;

 8A time to love, and a time to ^ahate; a time of war, and a time of peace.

 9What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he^alaboureth?

 10I have seen the ^atravail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be ^bexercised in it.

 11He hath made every thing ^abeautiful in his time: also he ^bhathset the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the ^cworkthat God maketh from the beginning to the end.

 12I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do ^agood in his life.

Okay, so I'm challenging myself today to see if I can go a whole day without meat or dairy. Easy, right?

Breakfast. As soon as I open the fridge, I see a tempting container of vanilla yogurt. It's still healthy, but I'm trying something new today. Okay, stick with oatmeal. Always good for you. And hey! No meat or dairy! I made myself a packet of Cinnamon & Spice oatmeal. Then, I chowed down on a bowl of juicy watermelon.

For a mid-morning snack I had only my FAVORITE kind of granola bar: Nature Valley Oats & Honey.

Then lunch rolled around. No chicken wrap today. Hmm, I wonder if I can still satisfy my body with a veggie wrap? I looked online for some recipes, but to no avail (they all seemed to have cheese or mayo). So I did what I do best in cooking: improvised. I looked in our fridge for any leftover veggies. Corn, peas, green peppers, shredded carrots, and a tomato caught my eye. I guess we really do have more healthy choices in our fridge than I thought we did. 


Now, I added that good ole olive oil ( Hey, those health freaks always rave about it). I went to our spice cabinet and glanced over the plethora that could make or brake my veggies. I love basil...check. And, I saw the recipes online had garlic so let's throw in a little of that. Alright, then the classic salt and pepper. I threw all of these ingredients onto a skillet. As it was cooking, I thought, hey, let's add some vinegar. Make it legit. I looked again into our spice cabinet for the best kind of vinegar. I figured I'd just use like Red Wine or White vinegar. But, thanks to my mom's interest in grocery shopping, I found "Rice Vinegar." I smelled it, and it seemed alright. So I poured a little in. It smelled so good! To make it stretch, I added some white rice. Stuck it on a wheat tortilla and voila! Afterwards, I felt...cleansed. Is that weird? It was a wholesome kind of full!

My sister says I only blog about food. But, it keeps me from blogging about people or work. It keeps me positive! I'll try to blog about something else after this post. But, hey, I am going into Nutritional Science. ;)

Like A Kid In A Candy Store

"Like a kid in a candy store"

Ever heard that before? As kids, we were drawn to the appeal of chocolate-covered, sugar-coated, creme-filled happiness. I mean, who wouldn't beg their parents for a candy bar while waiting in line at the grocery store? And maybe you were a bit mischievous and stole a candy bar for that temporary moment of joy (only to be scolded for your action soon after). 

However, you soon find yourself in the puberty stages. Yeah, I don't even want to go into what happens to your body. Let's face it though: sometimes you just feel...disproportionate. Wait, you can't eat that same old sugary goodness and get away with it? For me, I didn't really realize at this age that I needed to eat healthy. 

Now, I feel like I've learned a lot over the past couple of years. In fact, I enjoy the science and nutrition of food so much that I'm planning on going into Nutritional Science! I loved learning about the chemistry of fatty acids and skimming the surface of organic chemistry. 

I guess what this all boils down to is my perception of food. When I was younger, I thoroughly enjoyed the appeal of candy. Heck, I could eat whatever I wanted. Then, I started having a love-hate relationship with food. I was treating it so well! Giving it plenty of attention. So, why did I feel so bad after a rendez-vous with Ben & Jerry? 

I finally understand that food can be healthy AND good. Coming home around 10pm tonight, I reach in the fridge and chow down on...corn and watermelon (not mixed, ew gross). You always hear that fruits and veggies are so good for you, but what I am starting to understand is that they make you feel good too. They keep you full! And guilt-free! 

To finish up this typical girl post, I want to tell anyone out there that I am ready to embrace the science and art of fruit/veggie nutrition. 

I'm still contemplating what's best for me, but this one "Green Diet" book got me thinking: Do I really need to be eating as much meat and dairy as I do? AND, of course, how can I finally get out of the "kid in a candy store" craze for sugar? 

What's most important to me is being happy with my choices, including food choices. So, here's to being happy, hearty, and healthy! Next time, I go grocery shopping (which might be tomorrow) BEWARE! I might be like a kid in a candy store.