ashley's {page}: I think I might just miss Provo...

First of all I would like to start by saying... I MADE IT... my first year of college! I am so blessed to be able to say that I attend BYU, it really is a blessing because it was the university that I always wanted to attend when I was a child. It took a lot of hard work and a lot of praying and faith to get it. And now I am able to say that I offically am a BYU COUGAR!! BYU is like no other school on this Earth because it allows me to strive everyday to be as much like my elder brother Jesus Christ... the gospel is included in everything. I will have to say I am going to miss seeing people around in public reading The Book of Mormon or saying a prayer over their food before eating it or talking about church business... it just is so great to have little things like that from the gospel all around you... it's a great reminder to me of what my priorities should be or are. This is not to mention all of the wonderful devotionals and firesides and activites that are done in light of the gospel. I know that I have grow so much since being a BYU for a year... my knowledge of many things especially the gospel is greater! I was really able to maintain being myself in all that I did which is the most important thing that I can do for myself. Heavenly Father made us all very special and wants us to do our best in everything that is "good or praiseworthy," it is important that we value what we are and who we are becoming (humbly) and it is ok to look at yourself in the mirror at times and say "Hey I have done a great job"! I have learned that you can not be too hard on yourself all the time because you are not allowing yourself to be as happy as you really could be. But of course this is not the only lesson that I learned from this year of college because I have learned so many!!!!!