OpEd Brainstorm/Gratitude

Writing and Rhetoric Homework:

To be honest, I'm not sure if this is exactly what I want to talk about. I'm still debating between different topics, but I firmly believe that Facebook has perverted our sense of "friendship" with our peers. Before I got a Facebook, I made friends the "old-fashion" way, meaning starting off as acquaintances, getting to know their likes and dislikes and hanging out with them. But now, with Facebook, it seems like if you're simply suggested to be someone's friend, then you must, even if you met the person once or have over 20 mutual friends. I've had a personal experience where I deleted the people I hadn't talked to in ages or had to talk to through clubs in high school, but never outside of the club. After that, I got so many friend requests from the same people I deleted and really wasn't friends with in high school. I thought, "Really, people? High school is over! You weren't a big part of my life in high school and you most certainly aren't now that I'm thousands of miles away from home". So I deleted the request again. Turns out it upset some people more than others and they got mad, swear words and all, simply saying they wanted to be my friend. Well in my book, "being friends" doesn't mean stalking my life through a social network. It means talking to me, seeing how I'm doing, wanting to spend genuine time together...unfortunately some of my almost 500 people I deleted awhile ago didn't think so. So, class, what do you think? Good topic? Or should I change my topic?

DONE.

Now for my day! Today was actually a really good day. I had one class, I got to take a nap, I got to workout. I talked to my mom and dad for over two hours. I'm (slowly) cleaning my room.

I also feel a lot happier too...the past few days were really hard for me. I got some news that I really was struggling to accept. I knew I couldn't change things, so I had no choice but to accept it, but getting to that point was hard. But now, after a lot of tears, prayer, and supportive family and friends, I know I'll be able to get through it. My mom told me, "God brought us to it and He'll help us through it". I know this is true and I can only trust in His will. But this new experience has helped strengthen my testimony and gratitude for many things, like:

• The Atonement--Its not solely for the purpose of repentance. Christ felt every pain we have felt, are feeling and will feel. He knows every sadness, every unhappiness and every form of hurt we will feel in this life. Maybe no one on the earth knows our exact pain we are in, but Christ does. I felt so much comfort from this, knowing that I am not alone.
• Temple Marriages--No matter what, I will be sealed to the people I love most in this world. I can be with them forever, and not just until death. We will always be a family.
• My health/body--Before this life, every soul on earth fought to receive a body, because we wanted to be just like God and become like Him and we knew that bodies were necessary to achieve that. We knew just how special and precious they were and I'm so grateful for the body I've been given. It isn't perfect, but I'm so blessed with what I do have. I can walk. I can move my arms. I can jump. I can climb. I can think. I can speak. I can do anything I set my mind to. I'm healthy.
• Trials--Of course I'm grateful for my blessings, but if anything, I'm more grateful for my trials (which sometimes I like to call "blessings in disguise"). I'm given them because God has faith in me and knows I can overcome them. He wants me to be just like Him and He's giving me the necessary experiences to grow into the person I'm striving to be. As long as I remain faithful, I can accomplish anything.

Well that's really it. My day wasn't eventful physically in my outside world...but it was on the inside. :]