No Limits, Just Epiphanies

This is one of about 8 bajillion videos based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown (whose website you can find here, and whose viral TEDtalks can be viewed here. She also has written a few books which you can find on her website if you fall as deeply in love with her work as I have.)



To give a quick summary of the work of Brené Brown, allow me to use a few simple equations.

Ashamed or afraid person + Ashamed or afraid person = disconnection

Vulnerable person + Vulnerable person = connection

connection = wholehearted person

Here are a few key points I love about Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW:

-If all those letters weren't written behind her name, you may not even know she's a research scientist. She makes her work unbelievably accessible and understandable for even the average Joe. And she uses examples and phrases that you would actually hear coming out of someone's mouth, not a dusty, boring textbook paragraph.

-The way she talks make you feel like you're grabbing lunch with an old friend who has some outstanding advice, not a doctorate-holding research professor at a graduate school of Social Work who is trying to tell you how to live your life. Even though she covers some dauntingly hard-to-swallow topics, she somehow just puts you at ease.

-I honestly believe that "catching this wave" can change lives. For the better. The issues she addresses just hit home for anyone who has a heartbeat. "Shame is easily understood as the fear of disconnection." If you've never felt afraid, ashamed, or disconnected, then this blog post is not for you. Otherwise, I encourage and fully support the spreading of the work of Dr. Brené Brown.

Some of my favorite quotes of hers:

Basically, my version of the moral of the Brené Brown story is that according to the world (and far too often, according to myself) I may never be

Pretty enough

Unique enough

Skinny enough

Strong enough

Smart enough

Creative enough

Tough enough

Sensitive enough

Wise enough

But it doesn't matter. Because what the most vulnerable of vulnerable allows me to say is:

I am enough.  

Me. 

Not because of what I can do, or the important people I know, or the things I like.

Just me. 

And once a person can see that they are worthy of love and belonging, they can start helping other people embrace that truth as well. Because when you are working from a place of  owning your worthiness, it sure feels a lot different than working from a place where you are constantly trying to prove it.

And if that's not a message we each need to hear, I don't know what is.

The First 50...Part 2!

Well, what do you know? This is my 50th blog post! If you read my first post ever, you would likely think along the same lines as I - that this day would never come! Today's post's title comes from a previous post by a similar title written after my first 50 days of college, down at SUU. My oh my how things have changed since then! Life moves fast I suppose.

As many of you already know, or can clearly glean from the fact that i'm writing this post, I am home from my mission. I got back about 3 weeks ago. I have thought about writing this post a couple of different times since then, but today I decided to just sit down and do it. I'm home on a medical release, and I don't have many hard, set in stone details or plans to be able to share right now. But the one thing I can and will say is that I have received witness after witness that being home to be able to take care of things is exactly where I need to be and what I need to be doing. My heart aches for the mission. I miss the people, the language, the schedule, my companions, the badge, the chance to share my testimony so freely and so openly every day, etc... But above all, I know that this is where I need to be right now. It's not easy. It's not fun. But it is what's right for me.

So, the trip home from Asuncion, Paraguay to Logan, UT was quite long. We were awake for about 46 hours by the time my head hit the pillow the next day. Thankfully, I had a wonderful travel companion who helped the incredibly long flights and layovers pass quickly. Hermana Goimarac and I had a fun time trying to remember how to speak full english, especially when trying to share the gospel. I always thought that when missionaries would come home and give their homecoming talks and couldn't think of a word in English, that they were just faking it for dramatic effect. But, no! It's a real thing haha. Anyways, on one of the flights, I shared with Hna Goimarac some lyrics to a song that I had sort of rewritten, and she encouraged me to post them when I got home. So today, I decided to make this video and share the song. I hope you all enjoy it and can feel the Savior's love for each one of you. I'll probably post more about the mission later, but for now, here's the song!

I'd hoped they'd call me on a mission

When I had grown a foot or two

I tried my hardest to be ready

To teach and preach and work as missionaries do

I'm glad they called me on a mission

So I could learn a thing or two

My faith has grown more firm and steady

As I cried and sweat and laughed as missionaries do

I'm glad they called me on a mission

Al hablar la idioma español

Through entertaining language study

Aprendí a reirme en vez de querer llorar

I'm glad they called me on a mission

To let the Savior know me through and through

He's led me by the hand so gently

To comfort, lift, and heal as only He can do

This life is kind of like a mission

Though it takes more than a year or two

Through Christ I know we can be ready

To stand before the judgement seat with hope renewed

"It's great to have the Gospel. It's even better to live it."

Y no temerè

A line from one of my favorite hymns, The Lord Is My Light, in spanish :)

Well. It sure has been a while eh? Sometimes that happens when you finish school for the next 2 or so years, move 300+ miles, start training for a new job, get called to be a primary teacher for the 5-6 year olds, etc... Oh, and RECEIVE YOUR MISSION CALL!!! (Which in turn creates more things that leave less time for blogging. ie: going through and returning to the temple, taking mission prep after work, reading the Book of Mormon in your mission language, getting 8 bazillion immunizations, applying for visas/getting FBI clearance, and so on and so forth)


Where am I going, you may ask? Well, there are a few options on how to find out.



1-Have had any contact with me whatsoever the past 54 days



2-Watch this video

3-Scroll down

My call came to my parent's house in Logan while I was still at school in Cedar City. So I met up with my family and a few friends at Temple Square. Not wanting to drive all the way back to Cedar that same night, I and my good friend Alyssa stayed at her parent's house in Orem. Her fantastic mom had this cute little sign made up and hanging by the time we got there from SLC!

Oh! And if you selected option #2 (watched the video), you'll notice that at one point my mom says "You're going to My Argentina!" When my mom was in her early teens, her dad was a mission president in Cordoba, Argentina. Thus, my mom lived there for a few years. It wasn't until a few minutes later when I opened my call booklet and noticed that both my mission president and his wife had served their individual missions in Cordoba, Argentina. Coincidence? I think not! But wait, it gets better :) I show my mom their picture, and she recognizes my mission president's wife! Long story short, my grandpa was my mission president's mission president! As well as my mission president's wife! AKA my mom knows my mission president and his wife. You just can't make this stuff up. CIT!

Anyways, let me go ahead and just type out the conversation i've had with everybody the past month and a half, for convenience. 

                                                                                                                               

-I heard you got your call! What mission are you going to?

Paraguay Asuncion North

-Cool! Um...Where is Paraguay?

It's in South America. It's kind of in a Brazil and Argentina sandwich

-Wow! Is that Spanish speaking?

I'll be learning Spanish in the MTC, but they also have an indigenous language called Guarani. I've been told by a few folks that i'll likely learn a few phrases in Guarani, but it won't be the main conversational language. 

-How exciting! Don't you already know Spanish?

Um, more or less. I could probably hold a broken conversation in Spanish if I had to, but i'm by no means fluent. And even then, most of my experience is in Mexican Spanish, and each country's Spanish can vary SOOOO much. 

-Gotcha. Well, when do you leave? 

I report to the Argentina MTC on April 25

-They have an MTC in Argentina!?

Apparently! I didn't know that either. But yes, i'll be in Buenos Aires for 6 weeks (which is awesome because the MTC and the Buenos Aires Temple are on the same grounds!)

-Awesome! Well, are you excited? Nervous? Scared?

Yes. All of the above. Haha, i'm really not all that scared per se, but that's probably because that still feels like it's forever away. For now, i'm just reading Preach My Gospel, reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish, taking Mission Prep at the USU Institute, and taking each day as it comes. 

                                                                                                                                

There is so much that could be said about the last few months. Lessons I never knew I needed to learn, people I never knew I needed to meet, experiences I never knew I needed to have. It's all kind of one big jumbled mess in my mind right now, but perhaps as I sort them out more and more, i'll post about them. For now, the one thing I can say to describe it all comes from 2 Ne 9:10, and that is...

O how great the goodness of our God

The Beauty of Grace is That It Makes Life Not Fair

Dang that F chord! Oh well :) Have a great Saturday everybody!

Be My Escape - Relient K

My face is the size and shape of a chipmunk

Otherwise, this whole wisdom teeth thing is a total bust.

Watching As The World Goes Hammering On

Do It Now - Ingrid Michaelson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksFNaVCg8ao

Some stuff about my life:

-I just switched my major to Family Life and Human Development with an emphasis in Family and Community Services, and a minor in Sociology. And i'm getting my Associate's in December.

As a side note, you know you've worked with insurances in a medical office too long when you go to type the word "human" and automatically type "humana". 

-My good friend Alyssa and I are learning to play the song that this posts' title is from. (Lyss on piano, guitar for me)

-I am in love with guitar. I'm still not very good at it, but i'm okay with that.

-I just watched the US Women's National Soccer team play Australia and win 6-2. I cannot get enough of the USWNT.

-Today started with being at the school at 8 AM to help Student Host the SUU Career Fair. I had some amazing networking opportunities and feel really good about a few job prospects gained there. I then took a test for my Honors Nutrition class, went back to Student Host for 4 more hours, went to Geology of National Parks, came home and had PB&J's with Jane and watched Pride and Prejudice. Took Michelle to Applebee's for her birthday, and then we came back to my apartment and watched the rest of the USWNT match. This is a fairly typical day.

-I recently applied for admission, scholarships, and the Honor's program at USU. Nothing is set in stone, but i'm seriously considering transferring next fall. We'll see how it all pans out.

-I am in love with the movie Brave. My roommate Becca and I quote it non-stop. In accents.

-ingridmichaelsoningridmichaelsoningridmichaelsoningridmichaelsoningridmichaelson

-My hair is weird. Not as weird as being bald. But still weird. Some days I think it would be easier to just be bald again. Only some days.

-College is amazing. Learning is amazing. Money sucks. But I already knew that. The past month has just been a wonderful reminder.

-Blog stalking tells you less about a person than Facebook stalking. It's a fact. But it tells you more about who they want to be.

-I miss my sister's dog. Which is weird because she peed on my bed all the time. The dog, not my sister.

-In my dream world, I graduate with my Bachelor's in two more years, take a year off and live inside random National Parks, and then either get some incredible career started, or go to grad school in Oregon. 

-I want to fall in love. It doesn't have to be now. It doesn't even have to be relatively soon. I just want to experience it for the first time, to see if what all the songs say is true.


"You know, the thing about love - it's the only thing that truly is everything its cracked up to be."

I Believe In All Those Days

Friends, Romans, Countrymen -

As you are about to see/hear, this is my first song ever. As I am quite new to this, and a girl, I would love all feedback that is constructive/gentle. I know I pause a lot, srry. I'll post the lyrics below because I think it's a little hard to hear/understand at times. Well, here goes nothing! 

Merissa Homer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2012

VERSIONS

Before when you would smile

I swear the sun was always shining

But now all you can find

Is one more reason to be crying

I know that word can give a fright

Sneak in your room and grab you tight

But I believe in all those days

Before you went and changed

Cuz when i'd see those eyes

That's how I knew things would be alright

Yeah when i'd see those eyes

I'd never seen a thing so bright

And I know it stands for something

When your face comes into view

Cuz now your heart is in a different place

And I see a different version of you

So now let's cut to October

Where we'll pray for a few warm days

And we can contemplate what happened

To those things we swore would never change

I guess we just had different thoughts

On who we were, or why we fought

I'd die for one more taste 

Of how things were before I left that place

Cuz when i'd see those eyes

I thought, hey maybe we'll be alright

Yeah If I could just see those eyes

I think i'd shed a tear at the sight

And I know it stands for something

When your face comes into view

Cuz now your heart is in a different place

And I see a different version of you

And maybe i'm over thinking it

We both know that's my pony trick

But I can't stop pondering those notes, that air

And why I can't bring myself to abandon this ship

I don't say this cuz I hate you

You know these words aren't out of spite

As a matter of fact I still believe in you

Even more than I did that very first night

And what I wish more than anything

More than I thought I ever could

Is to know if you meant it when you said those words

When you spoke that phrase "For Good"

Cuz remembering those times

I hope our things will turn out right

Yeah remembering those times

I think I could shrug off one more slight

I know it would stand for something

If your euphoric face came into view

Then i'd know your heart was in that good old place

I'd see my favorite version of you

And I know you'll stand for something

When you meet Him in that glowing hue

I just hope you'll accept the version He sees

Because He wants what's best for you

Yeah I hope you'll accept the version He sees 

Cuz He knows what's best for you

Yeah I hope you'll accept the version He sees

Cuz He just knows what's best for you