Pictures!

This is me elated to be 29 and FREE=)

Going snowshoeing with Michelle!

Jumping for no apparent reason other than, I felt like it!

Taking pictures without concerns about food in my teeth and lovely frizzy hair=)

Me, eating whatever I want=)

Ok, you get the picture...I'm basically just being more happy to be me and happy to have my life and my trials and my blessings and my new beginnings! So far I have started going to a Zumba class (something I NEVER would have done in my previous life, in fact I would probably have made fun of people who did it=), I have been certified at the local gym to belay people on the rock wall and I have almost made it to the top of the wall myself (something I never thought I could do) and clearly, I have started snowshoeing and I LOVE it! I'm not listing these things off to show some sort of accomplishment just expressing that I'm finally doing fun things that I want to do! Sorry, these posts are a little out of order, but I'm ok with it and I hope to some extent it makes others feel more liberated to be themselves and be happy with who they are=)! Here's to a new year and a more authentic me!

A Brand New Year!

Yay! It's a brand new year for me and I am overflowing with excitement. I don't know why it takes an "official" day to make me feel like I can star my life over and change, but whatever it is, it works and I love it=)

This is a picture of me on top of the first mountain I have climbed this year and let me tell you, it was so exhilarating when I reached the top. Why do people climb Everest when you can get just as much excitement out of something so much smaller, easier, and cheaper? hmmm... Come to think of it, I kind of feel that way about everything: clothes (who needs nordstroms when you can get more exciting things at D.I.?) food (the dollar store has GREAT stuff for much much cheaper) Traveling (you can find places in the United States that look JUST like the other country you want to go to)....etc.

So, back to what I came on here to say: I, Carrie Reeves, am a new woman! (starting last Tuesday=) I am no longer going to let myself live in fear. AFter some deep thought I have realized that I have been afraid my whole life. "Afraid of what?" you might ask. Afraid of everything! I have always been afraid of hurting people's feelings if I didn't do what they want, afraid of not measuring up to what others think I should be, afraid of letting people down, afraid of not being enough, afraid of not having enough money. I am always just so sure that I am one day away from going hungry and having to live in my car out in the woods searching for edible berries...which might not be that bad afterall=) Anyway, you get the picture. Afraid, afraid, afraid. And then (two weeks ago) it hit me. GOD IS NOT THE AUTHOR OF FEAR AND CONFUSION. So then who the heck have I been listening to my whole life???? Mister what's his no face (I say that because he doesn't have a body, so therefore he wouldn't have a face). Crazy huh? Talk about a paradigm shift. All this time I thought fear came from God because it would motivate me to do better and be more. Weird. Last I checked, fear motivates no one and where there is fear, peace cannot be and if peace comes from the Savior then I have been shutting the door on Him my whole life and welcoming the adversary in and serving him tea and crumpets=)

No more! This 29th year of my life is going to be different. I will be spending this precious year working on letting go of the fear and letting peace in. Fear is not reality, it is a pretend world we make up and no good comes of it. I am going to make peace my reality this year and hopefully every year after this. I am no longer going to make decisions based on others opinions or approval. I am no longer going to think or say anything fear based about myself or my life or anyone else's. I am right where I need to be and exactly who I need to be, as are you=) All I need to do is look up and make sure I'm living my life the way the Savior would have me live it and there will be no more looking sideways to see if my life measures up to those around me. If there's something I want to do, that is a good thing, then I'm going to do it. For so long I have held back from opportunities because I told myself I wasn't capable. What a lie. I am capable of doing anything I want to with the Lord's help. I have made specific goals to be more adventurous, try new things, especially things I never thought I could do. I'm going to eat what I want, say what I want, love how I want, and try to spread peace and acceptance to those around me wherever I go. It's time to start living!

Here's a few pictures to document a few of the new things I'm doing to break the mold!

Um, actually the pictures will have to come in the next post because I'm having a few technical difficulties=)

Tenderly Calling...

http://youtu.be/dresvqIg9nA

I heard this song today probably for the thousandth time in my life, but for some reason, today was the first time the words and music struck me. It was the spirit whispering to my heart exactly what I needed to hear. It is so easy to get caught up in the world worrying about measuring up, proving ourselves, stressing about the unknown, filling our lives with fear, and blah blah blah. That is exactly the mode my mind was in this morning until I heard this song and was tenderly reminded of the Savior's love for me and His desire to bring me home and give me the peace He offers. It was one of those moments where you can feel your "cup" running over and in one moment you feel peace in all the areas that were once filled with fear. I LOVE this time of year because I find myself thinking of the Savior's life and love more often and it feels so good to fill my mind and heart with those thoughts. I am so grateful for the abundance that the Lord has blessed me with in my life and for the "crosses" that he has allowed me to bear so that I may grow nearer to Him. The recording of the song isn't that great, but if you listen with the Spirit, it wouldn't matter who was singing right? =) Anyway, Happy beginning to the Christmas season everyone and I hope that all of you can feel the Lord tenderly calling you and loving you knowing that you matter to Him and that He can fill up all those empty places in your heart, fill you with hope and peace, and help you give all that you were sent here to give, and in a sense "bring you home" =) Here are the lyrics....

        Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling,   calling for you and for me;   see, on the portals he's waiting and watching,   watching for you and for me.    Come home, come home;   ye who are weary come home;   earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,   calling, O sinner, come home!    Why should we tary when Jesus is pleading,   pleading for you and for me?   Why should we linger and heed not his mercies,   mercies for you and for me?   (Refrain)    Time is now fleeting, the moments are passing,   passing from you and from me;   shadows are gathering, deathbeds are coming,   coming for you and for me.       O for the wonderful love he has promised,   promised for you and for me!   Though we have sinned, he has mercy and pardon,   pardon for you and for me.    

        Come home, come home;   ye who are weary come home;   earnestly, tenderly, Jesus is calling,   calling, O sinner, come home! 

Grannie in Pajammies

This is a picture I forgot to post from a trip to visit one of my best friends this summer! She was so sweet to let me borrow her matching Moo Moo the whole week I was there! Moo Moos are one of my favorite things in the world and I would wear them everywhere I went if I could...and still have friends=) I had so much fun with my Grannie that week and I am so grateful for all the love she gives me and for all the laughs and cries we've had together! So, anyway, hope you enjoy our matching moo moo picture!

His Promises Are Sure!!!

Good things are happening all over the place! Finally!....well actually I shouldn't say "finally" because I know if I look closely at my life over the past year that God has been blessing me all along the way. It's just that right now in particular I feel like it's the beginning of huge, dark, black clouds lifting. I told Heavenly Father a few days ago that I could only handle so much more...Perhaps instead I should have prayed for more strength to endure what He would have me endure. Either way- He listened to my plea and He has answered! I have read so many scriptures over the past couple months about "considering the lillies of the field" and how He takes care of them so we should never doubt that He will take care of us. I always felt hope after being led to specific scriptures that were just for me in specific moments, but everytime doubt would eventually loom in and I would start to wonder if I was the exception to all His promises, but the truth is that I'm not and neither are you! He knows what we need even before we ask Him and He will always provide a way for our needs to be met and for us to be happy. Anyway, so are you ready for the good news??? I HAVE A JOB! After 5 months of dramatically wallowing in the depths of despair of unemployment, I HAVE A JOB!!! I haven't been miserable the whole time, but it has been rough due to my doubt and feeling like I don't know what the heck I'm going to do with my life and like I must be THE ONLY COLLEGE GRADUATE IN THE WORLD who never thought about what they wanted to do with their degree before getting it! It never even crossed my mind to determine that...wierd. But all is wonderful and well in the end and for that I am eternally grateful! He has made up for what I lacked all along the way. He has been so good to me when I have been so doubtful of Him. He has loved me when I was so unloving toward Him. I still don't understand why things have turned out the way they have in my life thus far, but we can all hope that I am finally learning to trust. So now I am an employed woman at a local bookstore...still no idea of where this train is going, but trusting the conductor to get me where I need to be=) I love books so it should be a lot of fun and hopefully I won't spend my whole paycheck there! oh and the other good thing...my perm is settleing down...I thought I was going to have to shave my head, but I think prayer has helped with this miracle too=) Thank heavens, or I wouldn't even be able to show up to my job with out a really big hood to cover up one of my lifes biggest mistakes (besides wiping with poison ivy- that's a whole other post-or not=)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
Love, Einstein

This last week has been a rough one, but I am grateful to start off this week with a day filled with candy=) Candy and prayer get me through everything...

Amazing Videos!

http://old.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/videos?channelId=ad1fcf6cdfeac110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&sourceId=2cca389a31a5b210VgnVCM100000176f620a____

http://old.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/videos?channelId=ad1fcf6cdfeac110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&sourceId=c1d1b0333ee92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____

http://old.mormon.org/mormonorg/eng/videos?channelId=ad1fcf6cdfeac110VgnVCM1000003a94610aRCRD&sourceId=d513b0333ee92210VgnVCM100000176f620a____

Um, I just have to say that for some reason lately I feel like I could sit and watch these videos ALL DAY LONG! Maybe it's because I have such a short attention span and they are all under 5 minutes=) I don't know what it is, but I love them. They make me feel so hopeful and happy. SO, if you get a chance and need a little boost look no further...These videos will do the job!

Also here's another good quote I cam across today:

"Hope is an abiding trust that the Lord will fulfill His promises to you. It is manifest in confidence, optimism, enthusiasm, and patient perseverance. It is believing and expecting that something will occur. When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good. Hope helps you conquer discouragement...President James E. Faust taught: "Hope is the anchor of our souls...Hope is trust in God's promises, faith that if we act now, the desired blessings will be fulfilled in the future..."