Sunday, March 31, 2013
The Bridge: A Story of a Father's Love
There once was a bridge that spanned a large river. During most of the
day the bridge sat with its length running up and down the river
paralleled with the banks, allowing ships to pass through freely on
both sides of the bridge. But at certain times each day, a train would
come along and the bridge would be turned sideways across the river,
allowing the train to cross it.
A switch-man sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.
One evening as the switch-man was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance. Then he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with MANY people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually.
He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lived depended on this man's strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.
"Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time...
The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son.
Either many people on the train or his own son - must die.He took but a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the on rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died. Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life.Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?
May we not take the Savior's Atonement for granted and may we be truly grateful for it.
With Love, Brianna
A switch-man sat in a shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.
One evening as the switch-man was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train lights. He stepped onto the control and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance. Then he was to turn the bridge. He turned the bridge into position, but, to his horror, he found the locking control did not work. If the bridge was not securely in position, it would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This would be a passenger train with MANY people aboard. He left the bridge turned across the river and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river, where there was a lever switch he could hold to operate the lock manually.
He would have to hold the lever back firmly as the train crossed. He could hear the rumble of the train now, and he took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply his weight to it, locking the bridge. He kept applying the pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lived depended on this man's strength. Then, coming across the bridge from the direction of his control shack, he heard a sound that made his blood run cold.
"Daddy, where are you?" His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him. His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run! Run!" But the train was too close; the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time...
The man almost left his lever to snatch up his son and carry him to safety. But he realized that he could not get back to the lever in time if he saved his son.
Either many people on the train or his own son - must die.He took but a moment to make his decision. The train sped safely and swiftly on its way, and no one aboard was even aware of the tiny broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the on rushing train. Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of the sobbing man, still clinging to the locking lever long after the train had passed. They did not see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked; to tell his wife how their son had brutally died. Now, if you comprehend the emotions that went through this man's heart, you can begin to understand the feelings of Our Father in Heaven when He sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life.Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His Son died? How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us through Jesus Christ?
May we not take the Savior's Atonement for granted and may we be truly grateful for it.
With Love, Brianna
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Chamber Choir!!! :) :) :)
I love music. I love to sing. Singing is one of my favorite things to do. (: Because of this, ever since 7th grade, I have sang in a choir at school. I absolutely love it. As I entered High School, I heard more and more about the top choir at our school. I looked up to all of the kids in it and thought, "I really want to be in that choir some day." Back in February, we had auditions so my teacher would know which choir we needed to be placed in for next year. I was nervous as auditions approached. But the day I auditioned, I got a perfect score!! :D :D Imagine that? I was SO incredibly happy!! :D That meant I had made it to Callbacks! (you didn't have to get a perfect score to make it to callbacks, it just made me super happy :D) It took a while to get to callbacks because the date had to be switched around a few times, but finally on March 21st, they had arrived. I will be honest, I was pretty calm going into them. I just figured I would do the very best that I could and see what happens. I was being called back with the rest of the girls (the guys did it in the hour before we did). Basically, we were given some music that wasn't too difficult, we went through it maybe 3 times and then we were called up in pairs of 2 (1 soprano and 1 alto) to sing together. I was one of the first ones called up to sing, and I didn't sing it perfectly (I wasn't expecting to) but I kept going and felt pretty good about it afterwards. Then, I got to sit back and listen to everyone else. After she got through everyone, we were called up in groups of 4, within our voice part, to sing together to see who could blend well with others. There wasn't really a part of the entire process that was terrifying. Yeah, it was a nerve-racking, but it turned out fine in the end. (: After doing that for a while, she dismissed us. I felt good about it, but was very nervous to see if I would make it into Chamber Choir. I also had a bunch of friends who had been called back, so I was nervous for them too.
Fast forward to that night. I couldn't sleep. Hardly at all. I was just so anxious to find out. I think I fell asleep around midnight, but then I am pretty sure I woke up at 4 am and couldn't fall back asleep. I basically tossed and turned for the next hour and a half.
Let me pause the story and explain something. My choir teacher started a tradition several years ago where the current members of this choir wake up the new choir members at about 5 and take them to breakfast the next morning to welcome them into this choir. (Obviously this would be coordinated with the parents) It is supposed to be this big secret, but of course everyone knows about it. So this made me even more anxious knowing that this possibly could happen. Okay. Let's continue.
About 5:30 am I hear a car pull up and some giggly girls get out of it. I hear them walk up to the door and knock. I am thinking, "Oh my goodness, it's actually happening!!!" But I laid there, pretending to be asleep. I hear them open my bedroom door and walk in. I think someone started gently shaking me and they were all saying "Wake up!" Of course, I popped right up! :) They said, "You made it!! Okay, you have 60 seconds to get dressed." So I put on my glasses, threw on some jeans and tennis shoes and I was out the door. We went to two other girls' houses to wake them up, and then we went to another girl's house and had an absolutely delicious breakfast. All of the other kids were there, as well as all of the new ones. I was so happy and relieved to see a bunch of my friends had made it!! :D They had a really yummy breakfast casserole, bacon, sausage, french toast with berries, whipped cream, and buttermilk syrup on top. It was to die for! :D Then we all went home, had to hurry and get ready and get to school. I was exhausted by that night, but it was SO worth it!!! :D
I am so incredibly grateful for what an amazing opportunity this will be!! Next year is going to be such a blast!! I can't wait!! :) :)
Thanks for reading!!
Brianna <3
Fast forward to that night. I couldn't sleep. Hardly at all. I was just so anxious to find out. I think I fell asleep around midnight, but then I am pretty sure I woke up at 4 am and couldn't fall back asleep. I basically tossed and turned for the next hour and a half.
Let me pause the story and explain something. My choir teacher started a tradition several years ago where the current members of this choir wake up the new choir members at about 5 and take them to breakfast the next morning to welcome them into this choir. (Obviously this would be coordinated with the parents) It is supposed to be this big secret, but of course everyone knows about it. So this made me even more anxious knowing that this possibly could happen. Okay. Let's continue.
About 5:30 am I hear a car pull up and some giggly girls get out of it. I hear them walk up to the door and knock. I am thinking, "Oh my goodness, it's actually happening!!!" But I laid there, pretending to be asleep. I hear them open my bedroom door and walk in. I think someone started gently shaking me and they were all saying "Wake up!" Of course, I popped right up! :) They said, "You made it!! Okay, you have 60 seconds to get dressed." So I put on my glasses, threw on some jeans and tennis shoes and I was out the door. We went to two other girls' houses to wake them up, and then we went to another girl's house and had an absolutely delicious breakfast. All of the other kids were there, as well as all of the new ones. I was so happy and relieved to see a bunch of my friends had made it!! :D They had a really yummy breakfast casserole, bacon, sausage, french toast with berries, whipped cream, and buttermilk syrup on top. It was to die for! :D Then we all went home, had to hurry and get ready and get to school. I was exhausted by that night, but it was SO worth it!!! :D
I am so incredibly grateful for what an amazing opportunity this will be!! Next year is going to be such a blast!! I can't wait!! :) :)
Thanks for reading!!
Brianna <3
Friday, March 22, 2013
Opposition
"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things."
(2 Nephi 2:11)
We are like pieces of coal. We have to undergo a lot of heat and pressure, but in the end, we will come out like a diamond. Beautiful, smooth, and unbreakable.
(2 Nephi 2:11)
We are like pieces of coal. We have to undergo a lot of heat and pressure, but in the end, we will come out like a diamond. Beautiful, smooth, and unbreakable.
Our trials shape and refine us. If we endure them well, we will become the people Heavenly Father knows we can become.
"And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions. . .they will not remember Him." (Helaman 12:3)
"Chasten" means redirect, to protect
The Lord chastens those He loves.
Unless we are given hardships, trials, and challenges, we will not remember Him.
"Chasten" means redirect, to protect
The Lord chastens those He loves.
Unless we are given hardships, trials, and challenges, we will not remember Him.
Trials are essential for us to have joy. Joy, meaning, the potential to become like Heavenly Father. Unless we experience hard things, we cannot become like Him. (:
"Continue in the faith. . .we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)
Life is hard. That's how it is supposed to be. But we are never alone. Ever. We have a Savior who has suffered and descended below all things so He knows how to help us. He is always there if you will only turn to Him. He loves you more than you can comprehend.
Don't give up. Be strong and hold on.
With Love, Brianna
Friday, March 8, 2013
Morp 2013
The middle of January, my 3 best friends and I asked a group of 4 guys (who are best friends) to the next casual girls' choice dance, Morp. Waiting for their answers felt like forever!! (even though it was only a week and a half...but still!! :D haha) Finally one night, the doorbell rings, and after I open it, all of these balloons appear. After untying them off of the doorknob, I bring them in. There were 6, and each had 'yes' written on it. So cute! :D
Thanks for reading!
Lots of Love, Brianna
Saturday, February 16th. In the morning, I rode with my friend Jessica to go get our dates, and we met up with Breanna, Rachel, and their dates at Jack and Jill's bowling alley in AF to go "Skittles Bowling". We had a bag of Skittles, and each color represented a different way to bowl. For example, backwards, laying down, with opposite hand, etc. It was soo fun!! Plus, we each had super awesome names...
Breanna - Phillip
Conner - Aurora
Conner - Aurora
Rachel - Shang
David - Mulan
Jessica - Flynn
Tanner - Blondie
Me - Navene
Jack - Tiana
Me - Navene
Jack - Tiana
Haha :D Gotta love Disney princesses!! :) After bowling, we went to Jessica's house and played games while we drank piña coladas and ate goldfish. (: It was a partay! :D
Later in the evening, we picked up the guys and went to Rachel's house for pictures and a yummy hawaiian dinner. (: Then, we went to the dance and had a blast!! :D Afterwards, we went to Breanna's house to play games.
Later in the evening, we picked up the guys and went to Rachel's house for pictures and a yummy hawaiian dinner. (: Then, we went to the dance and had a blast!! :D Afterwards, we went to Breanna's house to play games.
We had the best time taking these pictures!
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| Yes, that is a grass skirt...on his face...oh Jack...(: |
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| Top to bottom, left to right: Conner, Jack, David, Tanner, Breanna, me, Rachel, Jessica |
Thanks for reading!
Lots of Love, Brianna
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