Out With The Old And In With The New

[I wrote this forever ago and I guess it also didnt get posted..
I should really get back into the full swing of blogging again,
but anyways here it is!]

Hi guys!
What do ya think?
Looks pretty great right?
I've been tossing the idea of changing up the look of the blog
for a while now and I finally decided that so many things are changing in life
everyday, and I thought that I am always posting exciting new things
on my blog, but how come I've never changed it?
Finally I said, "Why not?"
So it was out with the old and in with the new!
A new name, new features and all together a brand new look!
There are so many new additions and I will continue to add things,
to only make things better.
I am so excited about the new look,
and hope that more and more people will like it too.
There are so many new things to explore.
So get to it!
I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!

Hope your having a great week!

Worthy

Many who know me know that right after going gluten free,

I struggled going to church because I hated knowing that everybody could have the

bread during the sacrament and I could not.

I hated feeling different.

I felt like everyone saw me as different.

I absolutely hated bringing a cracker,

it was so stressful to me.

Eventually though we got the hang of it,

we, actually being my dad, he always brought a cracker for me to have for the sacrament

and took it up for them to bless along with the bread.

When I moved to Rexburg,

I didnt have my dad to take my cracker up to those blessing the

sacrament for me anymore.

I was so nervous to take my cracker up because once again,

I didnt want to be seen as different.

But after a few sundays, I got the hang of it and

planned my time right that I would get to the church early enough to give them

cracker and to take a seat.

I gave myself enough time, which made it less stressful for me.

But this past sunday,

I pulled into the parking lot and there were only two trucks in the parking lot

and they were pulling out.

One of them was my Bishop!

Little did I know that my ward was meeting somewhere else because

our building is being renovated or something.

Anyways, I called Carissa and told her I was just gonna come home,

but just as I hung up I got a text from Scotty

(who happens to meet in the same building as me, just the ward before me)

so I decided to call him and see if his ward met somewhere else,

I explained the situation and he told me,

"Hang tight for a minute,let me make a few calls."

When he got back to me,

church had already begun,

so I told him I was just going to go home becuase I wouldnt be able to

take the sacrament anyways because it was too late to give them my cracker.

His response really got me thinking.

He told me that I should find a ward to go to because

even though I couldnt take the sacrament,

I could sit through it knowing that I was worthy to take it,

and would if I could.

So I decided to go look for a ward to attend,

even though I was going to be late.

I asked if he would come with me, and he did.

He met me at a building down the street,

and we walked in and the ward had just ended.

Long story short,

he was determined to get me to sacrament meeting.

So determined that we went to

SIX different buildings to find a sacrament meeting to attend.

[I went to seven if you count the building I usually go to which I went to first.]

After the fifth building, we even help a guy jump his car!

We got to the sixth building at 12:34,

luckily that ward met at 12:30!

So I attended sacrament meeting.

It was hard for me to not take the bread,

nervous that everyone would totally notice that I didnt.

But I was overcome with peace, from what Scotty told me earlier.

I knew that I was worthy to take it,

and I knew that Heavenly Father knew the intention of my heart.

I am so grateful that Scotty was so determined to get me to sacrament meeting.

I am grateful that he went with me,

it was comforting to have someone I knew right next to me

that I knew supported me.

He may not know that by coming with me so I wouldnt be alone,

and telling me

I could sit through the meeting knowing that I was worthy

really helped me to overcome a fear that I have had for over a year.

 I am beyond grateful for him helping me get passed that,

as it might not seem like a very hard thing

but for some reason I really struggled with it for a really long time.

I am grateful for my friendship with Scotty

and his example to me.

I know that if we do all we can,

even if its attending sacrament meeting even though you cant take the sacrament,

Heavenly Father will notice our efforts and bless us for

making the right decisions.

I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father

who knows me and loves me with a perfect love.

I am grateful for the sacrament and the role that it plays in my life.

The Greatest Blessing

I know that I have shared this video in previous posts,

but I love it and know that its message is true.

Three weeks ago,

I hit my one year mark of being gluten free.

I promise you that the past year has been by far

the hardest year of my life

physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually.

It might sound crazy that a small change in diet

would have the ripple effect

to effect every part of my life,

but it completely flipped my world upside down.

Everyday seemed to take a lifetime,

and I would never think that 365 days later

I would tell everyone that going gluten free was one of

the greatest blessings

God has ever given me.

I cant remember the last time I have felt this good.

Although it was difficult,

I know that without a doubt

my Heavenly Father was by my side every step of the way.

He has shown me that with Him,

I really can do anything.

Going gluten free has blessed me in ways that I would

have never imagined.

I have been blessed with confidence. 

Confidence to be different,

confidence to be me 100% of everyday.

I have been blessed with strength.

Strength to go day to day feeling better

than I have felt in my life.

I have been blessed with happiness.

Happy to be healthy,

although it may not be a cure,

happy to know a way of treatment.

I have been blessed with a support system.

I could not ask for better friends and family

as they have made sacrifices for me,

and encouraged me to keep going.

I have been blessed with a greater testimony.

A greater testimony of the atonement,

and that Christ has already gone through this for me,

and wont leave my side as I go through it and

that one day I will be perfected and will no longer

have this trial.

A greater testimony of God's love for me.

All in all, I have been blessed.

The Greatest Blessing

has been my support system.

Whether they realize it or not,

there are quite a few people who have

really touched my life and I will be forever grateful to them

because of their efforts to help and support me in anyway they can.

First, my mama, she made so many adjustments to her schedule,

and her cooking. She always tries gluten free things with me

so I dont feel so left out. She is still sending me awesome recipies to try.

my daddy, just like my mama he adjusted his cooking,

to find a yummy gluten free gravy, bread, rolls, all his famous sunday dinners.

Sarah Nelson, for going gluten free for an entire week.

I dont know many others who would do that.. it was by far one of the

nicest things anyone has ever done for me,

and still brings tears to my eyes.

I still dont know how I got so lucky to have a best friend

who would make that kind of a sacrifice,

to understand even a fraction of what I have to go through each day.

Jake Goodsell, for always checkin up on me and always asking me what he can do to help me.

Becky Bailey, for being the first one to encourage me to go gluten free,

at Daughters of Virtue, and for always checkin up on me to see

how im doing and if she can do anything for me.

Mrs. Tina Lattanzi, for making me so many gluten free meals during rehearsals.

She is a pretty incredible woman if you ask me,

so generously helping someone she hardly knew.

Kyle and Carissa, for putting up with me and my totes GF food while I live with them.

Scotty Renner, for buying way more gluten free food than he needed to just to make

sunday dinner, which he made a whole pan gluten free.

The rest of my Family and Friends,

for all the love, support, and prayers

throughout the last year.

I know that there are many more people who have been a great

help throughout the last year,

but those are just a few instances that have really stuck out

to me and touched my life.

The past year has been the hardest year of my life,

but I can promise you that it has also been one of the most rewarding.

Going gluten free is without a doubt,

and Beautiful Heartbreak

and has been the greatest blessing

in my life, and I am grateful for that.

Hold Tight and Carry On

Sometimes when things slow down after being crazy for a while,

you are given way too much time to think.

So I apologize for this post in advance,

as it will probably sound like one giant pity party.

During the 7 week break,

Rexburg is pretty much a ghost town.

With it being my first summer here,

I haven't had an opportunity to meet new friends.

All I have right now is work.

I know it probably sounds like I am ungrateful for my job,

which don't get me wrong,

I could not be more grateful for my job at Kiwi Loco and Skeeters!

 But sometimes, especially this week it has been a little rough.

Last week was the Allred Family Reunion

and it was awesome to see my family,

and it felt good to come back to Rexburg because

I know that it's where I am supposed to be,

but that doesn't necessarily make it any easier..

By seeing my family I felt like I was supposed to see my friends too..

The people who know everything there is to know about me,

the ones who know just what to say at all times,

the people who I've laughed with,

cried with, and grown with over the past 7 years.

It's been hard to come back to a place where

I don't have someone who just randomly calls you to go on a walk,

a drive, play at the park, to watch a movie,

to go get frozen yogurt at lulu's.

I know what your thinking, it's exactly what everybody else is thinking,

"school will start before you know it and you are going to make so many friends! You'll see, just wait."

And for a long time I believed that it would start

before I could say "here we go"

and I'm sure I will make plenty of new friends when I start school,

but what about right now?

It's hard.

It's hard to wake up knowing your hundreds of miles away

from your best friends as they are having a great summer together.

It's hard to see people come into kiwi to get yogurt with their best friends.

Its hard to sit alone at church.

It got to a point where I was just frustrated

that God would send me to Rexburg early when I was just going to struggle.

But you know, it's been an eye opener for me.

It has allowed me to grow so much closer to my Heavenly Father,

and he has already taught me wonderful things here.

He has reminded me that I am never alone,

although I may not have a friends who wants to go on a random adventure,

I have a loving Heavenly Father who calls me everyday,

and he asks me everyday to do everything I can to become closer to him, to

carry on.

He has reminded me that it's okay to just fall down and cry,

he will pick you up and brush off your, as Parker would say, "ouchies".

I'm sure this post seemed like I was just complaining,
but I hope you can see the lesson I have once again been reminded of,
you may at times feel all alone,
even when you are surrounded by wonderful people,
but you aren't alone.
If you turn yourself over to The Lord 100% he will bless your life.
Yes it would be nice to have a friend in Rexburg who plans a random adventure,
but isn't that what Heavenly Father is doing?
He has a crazy adventure planned for each of us
and I am so grateful I get to go throughout my adventure with him by side the entire time!
I know that I will find another best friend,
as I have so many back home.
My Heavenly Father is looking out for me,
He knows me,
He knows what I struggle with everyday,
He is in the details of my life.
He is my best friend.
I am so grateful for all he gives to me everyday. 

My mom shared this quote with me and I absolutely love it,
I think it is very applicable to me right now,
and its a pretty good perspective to have
during school.
I hope you love it too.

"Learn new things.
If they're hard, great.
If you have no aptitude, keep working on it.
The struggle may offer the greatest benefit."
- Alvaro Fernandez

To all my friends far away, know that I miss you more than words can say!
I hope you are all doing well and may God bless you until our adventures cross again.
May we always remember to hold tight and to CARRY ON.